(7-14-21) I am seeking help from families and behavioral health nurses in Virginia who have experienced or observed patient dumping.
Earlier this week, I posted a Washington Post story about how state mental hospitals had stopped admitting patients because of a lack of staff and beds. One factor is a 2014 rule that required state facilities to provide a “bed of last resort” for involuntary detention if a bed cannot be found elsewhere. This had allowed private hospitals to begin dumping patients onto the state. Daily admissions increased from about 4 to more than 18 simply because private hospitals didn’t want to deal with troublesome patients.
I have received emails from nurses in Virginia who said their hours are being cut back and private beds are going empty because hospitals want to save money by sending psychiatric patients to the state. One nurse told me a patient was transferred from a psych ward to the state because she had a Urinary Tract Infection.
If you know of such instances, please contact me at pete@peteearley.com. All correspondence will be confidential.
Thank you.
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