The Massachusetts Department of Mental Health will shut down the children's psychiatric unit at Westwood (Mass.) Lodge psychiatric hospital citing a "number of significant issues" with the facility, according to The Boston Globe.
In a written statement to the Globe, the agency said it conducted a surprise inspection at the facility Tuesday and issued a directive to close the unit to new admissions. Officials also notified the hospital of the agency's decision to suspend the facility's license to operate the children's psychiatric unit.
The agency has reportedly found repeated safety problems and instances of poor treatment at other Massachusetts facilities also owned by Boston-based Arbour Health System, a for-profit subsidiary of King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services.
The hospital has reportedly begun to transfer the nine pediatric patients currently at the hospital to other facilities. The agency said it will monitor the transition.
Agency officials also said the hospital must notify patients' parents or guardians, accrediting organizations and public and commercial payers of the pending license suspension. The hospital may apply to reinstate its license "once all deficiencies are corrected and a licensing survey has been satisfactorily competed," according to the report.