Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 3, 1991 TAG: 9104030491
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Eastern State, the largest mental hospital in Virginia, has about 1,500 employees and needs approximately 80 more, said Olivia J. Garland, who has headed the hospital for two weeks. The hospital is budgeted for staff to care for 850 patients, though the facility has 903 patients.
Garland said in an interview with The Richmond News Leader that she has found some gaps in communication with employees and training for some staff members in dealing with mentally ill patients.
David C. Pribble, the hospital's director for 12 years, resigned March 15, two days after state police said they would investigate Eastern State's operations. That investigation is expected to be completed soon.
Pribble, reached at his home here, declined comment.
Garland, director of Central State Hospital in Petersburg for six years, was appointed by state mental health commissioner King E. Davis as interim director at Eastern State. He ordered her to look into concerns about the care and treatment of patients and the health and safety of patients and employees.
Garland said that while some changes are needed, news reports have blown the incidents out of proportion.
"We have a very dedicated staff here," she said. "The examples that have come up recently make everybody think that everyone here is doing this, and that's very unfair to the people who work here."
Garland said she is concerned about how patient abuse is reported at the hospital.
"I've made it clear that I'm to be called. I will do a preliminary investigation and determine if abuse has occurred. If it has, action will be taken.
The number of abuse reports at Eastern State is no greater than any other state hospital, she said.
"About 99.9 percent of the reports are untrue," she said.
She said some part-time staff members haven't received the intensive training that full-time personnel have had for dealing with patients on the ward.
Training is needed, especially for middle-management employees, such as registered nurses who have been promoted to supervisors of buildings, Garland said.
Garland said she is not aware of hospital employees using drugs or drinking on the hospital grounds during the past two weeks.
"This hospital is open to the public. As a citizen, you can just drive through here. Sometimes citizens ride through and throw out liquor bottles and beer cans," she said.
She added that patients with grounds privileges sometimes walk off the hospital grounds, go to a nearby store and purchase alcoholic beverages.
"You can't fence them in because they are eventually going out into the community.
Because Eastern State's administrative staff was concentrating on the hospital's increasing patient population, other areas were allowed to slide, Garland said.
Eastern also has a shortage of psychiatrists that results in patients staying in the hospital longer than they should, she said.
by CNB