Safety lapses at the Oregon State Hospital contributed to recent patient-on-patient assaults, a federal report on the state’s most secure inpatient psychiatric facility has found.
The investigation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that staff didn’t always adequately supervise their patients and that the hospital didn’t fully investigate acts of aggression, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.
The federal agency opened the probe after receiving four complaints. Its findings were published following an unannounced, onsite survey conducted at the Salem hospital earlier this year.
A major incident detailed in the report occurred on Feb. 10, when a patient placed another patient in a chokehold until they were unconscious. The victim required “extensive” medical care for their injuries, according to the report.
Investigators also determined that the hospital failed to prevent sexual assault and sexual contact between patients.