After patient suicide, group wants Bridgewater State Hospital management to change hands

The Disability Law Center is asking Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker to transfer management of a psychiatric hospital to the Department of Mental Health following a patient suicide, according to a Boston Globe report.

Bridgewater State Hospital is a Joint Commission-accredited hospital run by the state's Department of Correction that cares for patients who are charged with crimes and determined to be in need of strict security because they could hurt themselves or others.

Disability Law Center, a federally funded watchdog group, issued a report on the hospital after a patient killed himself in the hospital's intensive treatment unit — which is used to hold mental health patients in isolation — in April. The report states the patient killed himself with toilet paper after it was given to him despite the fact he had tried to commit suicide in the same manner the day before.

Additionally, the patient was supposed to be under the eye of a specially trained observer and correction officers.

In response to the suicide and the resulting report from Disability Law Center, the Department of Corrections plans to install additional cameras so correctional officers can watch the guards assigned to watch patients.

Gov. Baker told the Globe his administration will make recommendations about the facility in the coming months. "I certainly think the conversation about the future of Bridgewater is an important one and it's one that we've started to have as an administration," he said, according to the Globe.

In a statement from the Department of Correction, officials told the Globe, "We are working on a strategy to ensure the quality of care and level of safety patients at Bridgewater receive matches what patients would receive at any mental health facility."

 

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