I am horrified by the American psychiatric system, and I am a psychiatrist.
Today my outrage is inspired by this report outlining the horrific treatment of patients hospitalized at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington (PIW). PIW is a hospital in the District of Columbia, where I live and practice. And I shudder to send my patients there when they are in desperate need of safety from psychiatric emergencies. However, whether it's auditory hallucinations telling them to kill their mother, unrelenting thoughts to kill themselves, or wandering around the streets naked and intoxicated, sometimes there are no other options.
Here are my takeaways from the report linked above:
PIW is the only for-profit hospital in Washington, DC. It is owned by Universal Health Services, which has been criticized nationally, including a civil settlement for $122 million in 2020 by the US Department of Justice.
PIW has had multiple complaints, which are likely underreported. Most notably, a patient who was put in a seclusion room because of "his loud snoring" laid on the floor, not breathing, not assessed, and without CPR or other lifesaving efforts for 21 minutes.
The hospital, the District of Columbia public health department, and the District's Department of Behavioral Health
