Oregon State Hospital still needs to make improvements following patient escape in August
The Oregon State Hospital has until Dec. 21 to submit a plan to improve secure transport of patients after a patient in full restraints escaped in a van Aug. 31 after the driver stepped out of the vehicle in Salem to assist the patient into the hospital.
A 102-page report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sent to the Oregon State Hospital on Monday identified multiple inadequacies related to the safe care and transport of patients, including the need for more training on patient transport, expedited completion of incident investigations and proper seclusion and restraint training.
“The hospital failed to ensure each patient's right to receive care in a safe setting and freedom from all forms of abuse and neglect,” the CMS report said.
After the psychiatric hospital submits a corrective action plan, CMS will spend up to 90 days surveying the hospital to determine if the plan is acceptable. If the state hospital is unable to gain compliance, it could face potential termination of its Medicaid and Medicare agreements, meaning it would no longer receive CMS reimbursement.
The hospital already has begun to address some of the report findings, forming a workgroup on Tuesday to begin developing corrective actions, according to a prepared statement.
A spokesperson for the hospital did not immediately reply to a request for comment Tuesday.
Christopher Lee Pray, an “extremely dangerous” patient who was facing more than 20 charges including attempted murder and assault, escaped Aug. 31. An investigation found employees transporting Pray stepped out of the vehicle to assist him and left the keys in the ignition.
Oregon State Police took Pray into custody two days after his escape. He was found stuck in mud in a Portland pond.
The CMS report said Pray made statements to staff about escaping prior to the incident, but there were no developed policies or trainings to prevent the escape from occurring.
CMS issued an “immediate jeopardy” findings after Pray's escape. The state hospital was given 23 days to make changes to address CMS findings.
CMS employees visited the state hospital to ensure successful implementation of corrective actions and form a report highlighting any further need for improvement. They will continue to work with the hospital following submission of a second corrective action plan in December.
Sydney Wyatt covers healthcare inequities in the Mid-Willamette Valley for the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions, and tips to her at SWyatt@gannett.com, (503) 399-6613, or on Twitter @sydney_elise44
The Statesman Journal’s coverage of healthcare inequities is funded in part by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, which seeks to strengthen the cultural, social, educational, and spiritual base of the Pacific Northwest through capacity-building investments in the nonprofit sector.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon State Hospital must make changes after patient escape
