Western State Hospital is broken, needs fixing

Help Wanted: Psychiatrists and registered nurses. Benefits. Must be willing to endure:

▪ Extreme stress.

▪ Risk of physical assault.

▪ Sense of futility.

▪ Lack of backup during emergencies.

Apply: Western State Hospital, Lakewood.

Such is the predicament of the state’s problem child mental hospital. It’s developed a radioactive reputation in some circles. Recruiting psychiatrists and registered nurses is tough. The consequences have been predictable.

There aren’t enough professionals to handle all the patients in the 827-bed institution. Staff members tell harrowing stories of assault. Patients aren’t safe enough. Working conditions can be harsh. Some nurses and doctors bail when they find positions in other hospitals and clinics.

Two weeks ago, The News Tribune’s Jordan Schrader documented the extreme staff shortage. As of September, more than 300 positions were vacant. More than 50 of those vacancies were for registered nurses. Of 45 budgeted psychiatrist positions, 10 were empty.

The federal government jerked the state’s chain recently when it threatened to withhold the $64 million a year it now provides the hospital. U.S. inspectors had determined that the lack of staffing had left patients in “immediate jeopardy” of harm. In late November, Western State persuaded the feds that things had gotten better.

That’s not entirely good news. To keep the federal money, the hospital has had to shift funding away from an expansion needed to accommodate additional severely ill patients. Those patients belong in Western State, not emergency rooms or jails, or on the streets.

One of the most disturbing assessments of the hospital has come from one of its psychiatrists, Dr. Joseph Wainer. In an oped published on these pages four weeks ago, Wainer described cost-cutting as the administration’s “overriding imperative.” He alleged that the hospital is “focused on spending the least amount of money while just barely maintaining federal accreditation.”

Fixing the hospital will take additional millions from the Legislature. But not fixing it is already costing the taxpayers millions — and exposing patients and staff members to great harm.

A recent Associated Press story laid out some of the costs.

In recent years, hundreds of employees have suffered fractures, concussions and other injuries. Attacks have led to assault and attempted murder charges.

Injured employees missed 41,301 days of work between 2010 and 2014. Workers compensation insurance paid out $6 million for claims from Western State staff members. According to Wainer, many of the injured employees have left the hospital. Small wonder.

The state has increased the pay of the hospital’s psychiatrists over the past year, to an average of $206,000. But psychiatrists are in short supply across the United States; they can find good pay elsewhere. With a toxic workplace, Western State can’t compete.

Year after year, Western State remains a rolling crisis. This clearly needs the personal attention of Gov. Jay Inslee.

This story was originally published December 5, 2015 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Western State Hospital is broken, needs fixing."