Meadville Hospital Didn't Report Suicide Attempt

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Officials at the Meadville Medical Center failed to report an attempted suicide and also failed to properly handle a data breach affecting 826 of it patients, according to Pennsylvania health officials.
The deficiencies were included in a 13-page report on the facility made public by the state Health Department.
According to the report, inspectors from the state agency found the hospital failed to implement anti-ligature measures in rooms accessible to patients at risk for suicide.
The facility failed to ensure "the patient's right to receive medical care in a safe environment," the report states.
The surveyors visited the facility in mid-January on "an unannounced complaint investigation."
In a tour through the facility the inspectors found a lack of ligature safe hardware in more than a dozen examination rooms, rooms where patients at risk of suicide were being placed.
In additionan attempted suicide was not reported to the
The report notes that such incidents must be reported to the state within 24-hours.
"We should have reported that," one unnamed hospital employee told the surveyors, according to the report.
"We weren't trying to hide it," another hospital employee told the inspectors.
The report also faults the hospital for failing to properly handle the breach of some 826 patient records.
The breach, apparently caused by the mishandling of transcription services, occurred in 2015 and 2016.
According to the inspection report, the facility had yet to submit an acceptable plan of correction to cure the deficiencies.
Hospital officials did not repond to questions or to requests for comment.
Contact:wfrochejr999@gmail.com