Gov. Inslee urges stronger oversight of Washington's private psychiatric hospitals
Gov. Jay Inslee is calling on his state Department of Health to strengthen enforcement of private psychiatric hospitals, and make its findings more accessible to the public, in response to a Seattle Times investigation.
“It is clear to me that our existing regulatory structures are inadequate for ensuring that new, privately run facilities are meeting the levels of transparency, safety and quality that patients and their families deserve,” Inslee wrote in a letter to Department of Health Secretary John Wiesman this week.
The directive marks a shift in tone for Inslee, who has supported the expansion of private psychiatric hospitals in a state that has long been short of treatment options. In his letter, the governor suggested revisiting the role of for-profit psychiatric companies.
“I am deeply troubled at the prospect of corporations exploiting gaps in our oversight systems to profit from vulnerable Washingtonians and hard-working hospital staff,” he wrote.
Read more: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/times-watchdog/gov-inslee-urges-stronger-oversight-of-washingtons-private-psychiatric-hospitals/