By Michael Biesecker, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.
Jul. 3–BUTNER — State mental health officials said today they are finally ready to move patients into North Carolina’s newest psychiatric hospital — a project dogged by doubt, delays, cost overruns and safety concerns.
Opening day for Central Regional Hospital in Butner has been called off at least four times since November, when it was originally set to receive patients.
The facility is now scheduled to open by the middle of July with patients transferred from two aging hospitals set to close — John Umstead Hospital in Butner and Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh.
In the past year, internal safety reviews have raised repeated questions about design flaws with the $130 million building, including places where suicidal patients might hang themselves or jump to their deaths.
In a concerted effort to change negative perceptions about the new hospital, administrators invited members of the media to walk through the facility this morning. Tours for the families of patients, mental health advocates and others will be held this weekend.
Michael Lancaster, co-director of the state mental health division, was appointed as interim director of Central Regional last month following the resignation of former director Patsy Christian over a portrait of herself she commissioned for the building using vending machine money intended to benefit patients.
While careful not to concede the hospital had ever been unsafe, Lancaster said today the delays had allowed the time to improve safety.
“We’ve had lessons learned,” Lancaster said. “And we will continue to improve after patients arrive. This will be a safer hospital in 12 months than it is today.”
Among the issues that have been addressed are handicapped grab bars in patient bathrooms safety inspectors warned could be used to anchor a noose made from a bedsheet or clothing.
State workers initially tried to solve the problem by adding a steel plate below the bars, which are located in the private bathrooms inside every patient suite. But that fix left sharp metal edges exposed and a remaining gap that a sheet could still be threaded through.
Workers have since added a second plate to cover the gap and filled the remaining crack with special “pick-proof” caulk.
The remaining contraption isn’t elegant, but officials said they are satisfied it is now safe.
In other parts of the hospital, new walls have been added to cover overlooks in stairwells where a patient might have jumped.
New locks have been added to some bathroom doors so nurses can lock out suicidal patients or those who suffer from a condition that causes unquenchable thirst. Such patients might drink themselves to death if allowed access to an unmonitored spigot.
In a major reversal of policy, dozens of surveillance cameras have been added throughout the facility, including in restraint rooms and seclusion rooms. The cameras, which digitally retain footage for weeks, could provide a deterrent to staff members tempted to abuse patients, as well as clear those falsely accused.
Christian had vigorously opposed adding such cameras.
“The juice isn’t worth the squeeze,” she had said on a similar tour in December.
It was decided not to fix some other issues pointed out by the inspectors, however, such as hundreds of door handles that could be used to anchor a noose.
Steve Oxley, clinical director of the new hospital, said Thursday the door handles did not offer a major risk.
“We believe we have a safe facility,” Oxley said.
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