Days after reopening, a wing of the Cranston, R.I.-based Eleanor Slater Hospital has been accused of "deplorable conditions" by a federally authorized watchdog group, The Providence Journal reported Dec. 11.
On Nov. 29, Disability Rights Rhode Island visited the hospital and found "water leaks, mold, exposed metal around windows and floors, peeling paint, evidence of rodent/insects (both dead and alive) in the patient rooms, showers, and common space." They also observed sinks with "sitting water that were dark in color or out of order completely."
The group gave the hospital 30 days to provide a plan of correction.
A wing of the Adolf Meyer building at the state-run Eleanor Slater Hospital was reopened on Nov. 21 to absorb overflow from the new Rhode Island State Psychiatric Hospital, a 52-bed hospital on the same Cranston campus. The renovated hospital was opened to disperse the number of patients cross-campus with mental illnesses, as a state law bars Medicaid reimbursement when more than 50 percent of patients are being treated for mental disease, the Journal reported.
However, the Rhode Island Psychiatric Hospital is receiving more patients from the court system that require treatment for "significant behavioral health conditions," Randal Edgar, a spokesperson for the hospital, told the Journal. When the courts deem a defendant incompetent to stand trial, they are required by law to be transferred immediately — and if the hospital cannot accept them due to staffing or capacity issues, a judge could find the state in contempt, Mr. Edgar said.
Eleanor Slater Hospital has been the subject of much controversy this year. Correctional officers allegedly abused a patient in February, and CMS accused the hospital of putting patients in "immediate jeopardy" again in May. But reopening a wing of the Adolf Meyer building lessened the burden on Rhode Island Psychiatric Hospital, according to Mr. Edgar, and it will continue to be used until renovations at the state's separate Regan facility are completed in mid-2025.
Mr. Edgar told the Journal that the hospital has not removed all safety and ligature risks, but staff is conducting "five-minute checks" as an interim solution approved by the hospital's accreditation agency. He said mold issues are continuously assessed, pest control comes biweekly and the sinks pointed out by the watchdog agency are in unused areas.
"All patient care areas are cleaned on a daily basis," Mr. Edgar said to the Journal. "Cosmetic issues, which have no impact on patient care, are addressed as needed ... the hospital is working with the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to address concerns in the building and keep it properly maintained while it is still in use."