Vermont hospital faulted in probe of two suicides

May 13, 2004|Associated Press

WATERBURY, Vt. -- Failures and miscommunication by administration and staff at the Vermont State Hospital may have contributed to two suicides at the hospital last year, an advocacy group said yesterday.

An independent investigation by Vermont Protection & Advocacy Inc. found that the hospital failed to tell staff to remove shoelaces from Amanda Menei, 19, and failed to detect the suicide risk of Christopher Fitzgerald, 39, shortly before both patients hanged themselves.

"We hope that we can reinforce the idea that the administration has to pay attention at every level . . . so that the kinds of mistakes that happened won't be repeated," said Ed Paquin, head of the nonprofit group, which works on behalf of people with disabilities.

While Paquin acknowledged the hospital's change in administration, addition of staff, and a suicide prevention policy since the deaths, the report said the hospital had lacked a suicide prevention policy, adequate staff, appropriate space, and failed to communicate important information about patient safety.

Mental Health Commissioner Susan Besio said the hospital already has addressed many of the concerns. "We took the events very, very seriously," she said. "We've developed a lot of new policies and procedures."

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