Jefferson Cited for Psych Unit

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

State health investigators have cited Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for a series of violations of state and federal requirements in a two-floor locked psychiatric unit.
In a report recently made public surveyors from the Pennsylvania Health Department found the hospital unit "failed to maintain a safe and sanitary environment."
Among the items cited were multiple ligature risks including electrical cords and unprotected hardware.
Still other risks included wall vents with sharp blades which had been cited in prior inspections of the same facility.
The surveyors also found that the facility failed to respond to a patient grievance and even failed to include a cope of the complaint in the patient's record.
In a plan of correction the hospital said work was already in progress to eliminate the ligature risks. The hospital also reviewed policy for the handling of grievances and revised the policy.
The hospital also promised to conduct audits to ensure the revised policy is being followed.
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