Psychiatric unit is forced to quit taking new patients due to complaints against doctor

A story we missed from the ST. Louis Post-Dispath of February 17th.

State officials have ordered Jefferson Memorial Hospital to stop accepting new patients in its psychiatric unit until complaints by two patients against a doctor are resolved.

In a surprise visit to the 40-bed psychiatric unit at the hospital in Crystal City on Feb. 9, investigators with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services determined that actions by the doctor could have created "an immediate and serious threat" against patients, department spokeswoman Nanci Gonder said Friday.

"We did find concerns related to the safety and well-being of the patients there," Gonder said.

Neither she nor Mark Brodeur, Jefferson Memorial's chief executive officer, would discuss the nature of the complaints or any specific allegations against the doctor.

The doctor, who was not identified by state or hospital officials, no longer works at the psychiatric unit, Brodeur said.

He declined to say whether any disciplinary action was being taken against the doctor. No patients in the unit were harmed in any way, he added.

"The state always acts very swiftly and very strongly" in response to such complaints, Brodeur said.

"We have a very thorough corrections plan that we're ready to present to the state," he said.

If the state accepts the corrections plan, the psychiatric unit can resume accepting new patients, Gonder said.

For now, Jefferson Memorial is referring new psychiatric patients to St. Anthony's Medical Center in south St. Louis County or other hospitals in St. Louis County, he said.