The Mental Health Crisis in Portland

Safety Problems at Portland's Premier Mental Health Center

Oregon State investigation shows Portland's premier psychiatric crisis center could lose its federal certification. 

The $53 million Unity Center is known for its “innovative solution and humane way to care for people in crisis. Legacy Health and three other Portland-area medical providers shut down individual mental health centers and formed Unity,” according to a report by Oregon Live's Molly Harbarger.  "The State investigators have placed Portland's premier psychiatric crisis center on notice that it could lose its federal certification as early as next month unless it fixes widespread safety problems that allowed patient harm in repeated cases, including attempted suicide and at least one death from alleged medical neglect."
 
Harbarger also says "The threat of pulling the certification is a rare regulatory move and could imperil Unity Center for Behavioral Health's operation."  The notice follows a series of inspections by state investigators and two findings that Unity had placed patients and employees in "immediate jeopardy."
 
Oregon Health Authority released a 105-page list of issues at Unity after The Oregonian/OregonLive filed a public records request. The document faults Unity for everything from having unsafe surroundings to failing to supervise patients. Examples the investigators cited were patient death, improper patient restraints, medication errors, patient wandering, unsafe conditions and more.  Read the full story here: https://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2018/08/state_investigation_shows_seri.html
 
The investigation by Oregon Health Authority shows a facility in trouble even as it begins to correct its mistakes. Friday's release from the health authority surprised officials at Legacy who oversees the center.  "Legacy spokesman Brian Terrett said a "high-alert status is called" and are common in hospital investigations."
 
Dr. Satya Chandragiri, former president of Oregon Psychiatric Association, who has years of experience practicing psychiatry in Oregon, says there are a number of steps we can take to tackle this mental health crisis:

• Reinstate the Oregon Mental Health Medical Director, ensuring accountability at the state level.
• Fast-track approval of new inpatient treatment centers for adults and children that would be evenly spread throughout the state.
• Create and maintain a centralized inventory of all available psychiatric beds and resources to help in planning for the needs of our state.  
• Use the 70 empty beds in the Junction City hospital and lease them to an organization willing to provide services for those in crisis.

As Dr. Chandragiri says, we "need to make it easier for people to get treatment, not harder.  Oregonians deserve better and we can't afford to wait any longer."

BrightStar Care of Portland provides support to families and individuals with mental health diagnoses and neurological disorders.  Learn more about our Home Health Care Services, please visit our website.

 


Source: https://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2018/08/state_investigation_shows_seri.html