Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Craig Adams ordered the state’s Department of Social and Health Services and other officials to provide briefs by July 6 on how to unclog the waitlist and reduce the number of times patients intended for Western State are held in other facilities instead, according to the report. Because of the waitlist at Western State, which the hospital attributed to the shortage of staff and beds, Mr. Adams questioned why he should continue to sign civil commitments to the facility, the report states.
The court official’s action comes about two weeks after Cheryl Strange, who was named CEO of Western State in April, was found in contempt of court June 10 for keeping a man with dementia and behavioral disturbances on the wait list for admission after a civil court ordered the man to go to the hospital earlier this year. Ms. Strange was given the option to either admit the patient or report to jail June 15.
After the hearing June 10, Ms. Strange said she would report to jail as she didn’t intend to admit the patient. However, the state DSHS stepped in and asked a judge to issue a stay. The judge granted the state’s request, keeping Ms. Strange out of jail at least through June 21, according to The Seattle Times.
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