Is the expansion of Palms West $ 90 million obtaining profits before security?

Palms West attends approximately 65,000 patients each year. It is part of HCA Healthcare, a corporation that reported $ 18.29 billion in profits last year. But the hospital remains with little personal.

Karen Terry
| Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart and Shipley

Hospitals are supposed to be places of healing, not dangerous work environments for personnel and patients equally. However, at the Palms West hospital in Loxahatchee Groves, the staff has been forced to take into account the reality that their safety could be committed at any time. My client, a 67 -year registered nurse with decades of experience, He was brutally attacked by the patient of Baker Stephen Scantlebury’s law in an incident that could have been avoided. The assault left her with injuries that alter life, but the hospital response has been silence. No changes have yet been made.There are no firm commitments to increase personnel, and there are no efforts to provide training on disscallation methods, it is simply a business as usual.

Administration’s priorities are clear. Palms West recently announced an expansion project of $ 90 million, promoting new surgical capabilities and infrastructure improvements. However, notably absent from this investment, a greater mention of greater security measures or personnel levels is mentioned to protect employees and patients from known threats. Meanwhile, attacks against health workers continue, and the hospital’s own culture discourages those who are more likely to be affected by speaking.

A preventable tragedy

The day before the incident, the erratic behavior of Scantlebury in a Dunkin ‘Donuts resulted in the police to be called to the scene. Despite his family’s claims that Scantlebury had been experiencing hallucinations, the police refused to intervene, concluding that he did not represent an immediate threat to himself or others. This determination seemed to depend solely on their answers to their questions. Later, when he arrived at Palms West complaining about chest pain, his family begged him to be committed under Baker’s law, a Florida law that allows people who experience a mental health crisis that is involved involuntarily for the psychiatric examination and the possible detention if they consider themselves a danger to themselves or for others.

The hospital refused.

However, after exhibiting strange erratic behavior in the hospital and talking to the family in more detail, Scantlebury was finally Baker acted. Due to the hospital system to assign patients to available beds, it was placed in a room on the third floor, where my client, Leelamma LAL, was assigned to take care of it under the standard hospital protocol. Although Baker Act patients are supposed to monitor them at all times, these caregivers lack training or physical ability to intervene in an emergency. No additional security measures were provided. The consequences were devastating. Without prior notice, Scantlebury attacked my client with such force that almost all the bones on his face were broken. Now he faces permanent loss and immeasurable emotional trauma.

Restlessly, this is not an isolated incident. Only a few weeks later, another patient from Baker’s law in Palms West had to be physically restricted by six staff members. Despite this obvious pattern, the hospital continues to ignore and minimize the risks.

Prioritize profits over people

Palms West attends approximately 65,000 patients each year. It is part of HCA Healthcare, a corporation that reported $ 18.29 billion in profits last year. Despite these numbers, the hospital is still little personal.

Unlike the elderly households, which must comply with the specific nursing proportions to patient under the law of Florida, hospitals follow less strict federal guidelines. Florida demands that the elderly homes provide at least 2.5 hours of attention by resident of certified nursing home and maintain a minimum proportion of nurse / resident. On the contrary, hospitals, where patients often need much more intensive care, have no mandatory relationships or requirements to develop a personnel plan for adequate care. As a result, hospitals often prioritize profitability on patient and staff safety.

When Palms West nurses raise concerns about the shortage of personnel, particularly with respect to patients of Baker’s law and level 2, they are ignored or face retaliation measures. Some are degraded or placed on lists of “not hiring.” Many hospital employees fear talking, knowing that they can put their careers at risk. This culture of silence allows dangerous conditions to persist.

Expanding a broken system

The expansion of $ 90 million of Palms West is framed as a victory for the community. But what is a latest generation installation if people within it are not safe? In what part of this budget is financing for armed security personnel with adequate training to handle violent incidents? Where is the investment in mental health professionals that can intervene before situations increase?

Palms West has an obvious agenda: build, expand and increase income. But what about protecting nurses, doctors and staff that make patient care possible?

Hospital’s actions are failing in their patients, staff and the entire Palm Beach County community. If nothing changes, other tragedies are safe that occur.

The administration in Palms West must assume responsibility. The increase in safety, adequate personnel and better training to handle psychiatric emergencies should not be optional, they are essential.

How many more attacks will be taken before the safety of health workers is valued as much as the final result of the hospital?

This opinion article was written by Karen Terry. Terry is a shareholder at Searcy Denney SCAROLA BARNHART & SHIPLEY law firm in West Palm Beach. She is the legal representation of Leelamma Lal and her family. She wrote this for the Palm Beach Post.