Michigan regulators are seeking to revoke the license of Kalamazoo (Mich.) Behavioral Health Hospital, which is owned by South Bend, Ind.-based Neuropsychiatric Hospitals, following an investigation that uncovered ongoing violations of state licensing requirements related to patient safety, News Channel 3 reported Oct. 12.
The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs issued a notice of intent to revoke the hospital’s license Sept. 9. A hearing is set for Oct. 14, and the facility can remain operational until a final decision is reached, according to a statement the department provided to News Channel 3.
Records obtained by News Channel 3 show patients were sent to another hospital at least 57 times between January and May. State officials are reviewing 43 of those transfers, including 24 that occurred in April and May. The April and May transfers involved falls, assaults, unexplained injuries and patients found unresponsive.
Investigators also identified lapses in patient monitoring and said the hospital had not provided a “root cause analysis” of the falls. In one instance, a patient who was supposed to be checked every five minutes as a fall risk went unchecked for about an hour before falling and sustaining injuries that required hospital care.
The state also found the facility out of compliance with federal Conditions of Participation. The investigation remains ongoing.
Becker’s has reached out to Neuropsychiatric Hospitals for comment and will update this story if more information becomes available.
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