The Illinois Department of Human Services plans to relocate nearly half of the patients at Anna, Ill.-based Choate Mental Health and Development Center, ProPublica reported March 7.
According to investigative reporting by ProPublica and others, multiple staff members allegedly beat patients on several occasions, covered up the events and threatened new employees to do the same, according to the publication. Forty-nine individuals including staff members and residents of the facility have been charged with a felony since 2015 in connection to these allegations, according to court documents.
A total of 123 patients who entered the facility voluntarily will be moved from Choate to a different facility or a community setting within the next two to three years, IDHS Secretary Grace Hou told ProPublica. IDHS is additionally working on a plan for 112 residents with developmental disabilities who currently live in the facility's specialty units.
“It became clear...in part, because of your reporting, that there were more significant changes that needed to be made,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker told reporters, according to ProPublica.
Choate will remain open, is not expected to close or lay off any employees, and may actually expand its 49-bed psychiatric hospital. IDHS is working with the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield to decide the facility's next steps.