Feds Concerned About Conditions in GA Psychiatric Hospitals

More than a decade ago, in Olmstead v. L.C., the Supreme Court found that Georgia Regional Hospital in Atlanta was allegedly segregating two disabled patients who could have been served in more integrated settings. The high court ordered states to serve individuals with disabilities in the most integrated settings appropriate to their needs. The same hospital involved in that landmark case, and the other six hospitals run by Georgia, continue to impermissibly segregate hundreds of individuals, according to DOJ.

In addition to the unlawful segregation, the feds reported that individuals in the hospitals are exposed to egregious harm. According to DOJ, some examples include:

• In 2009, the state failed to supervise a patient who had previously killed. The patient assaulted and killed another patient in the hospital.


• In 2008, hospital staff failed to intervene in a fight between patients, one of whom was knocked unconscious and died a few days later from blunt force trauma to the head.


• In 2009, staff failed to supervise a patient who raped another individual.


• In 2009, a patient committed suicide by hanging himself from an upended bed. DOJ had repeatedly warned hospital staff during on-site visits of the dangers posed by beds that were not bolted to the floor.


• This month, the state failed to supervise an individual who expressed suicidal thoughts the day before she committed suicide.

The seven hospitals are East Central Regional Hospital, Georgia Regional Hospital at Savannah, Georgia Regional Hospital at Atlanta, Southwestern State Hospital, Central State Hospital, West Central Georgia Regional Hospital, and Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital.