Wherein, my good faith attempt(s) to fully report clinical and administrative patient abuse at The Arizona State Hospital compel me to directly communicate with the highest link in the state's health care systems' entire food chain.
I originally drafted and sent the following letter to Arizona Department of Health Services Director Will Humble in early February, 2011, less than one month prior to my discharge from The Arizona State Hospital. I was still in there, in other words, witnessing and experiencing the rampant wrongdoing that effectively defines the ASH patient experience in general. At the time, I had nothing but full confidence and good faith willingness to turn to this man, the person with ultimate authority over the operation of any/all public health care resources in Arizona, for by that time, I had virtually exhausted all other like resources (in the sense of related offices in this specific state agency), with no meaningful result whatsoever. I offer this bit of data as a matter of illustrating how deeply unreasonable the management of Arizona's most seriously mentally ill and disabled citizens is today, for the fact of the matter is, Will Humble has patently failed to acknowledge the merits of my expressed concerns, which is indicative of yet one more clear breach of the public trust, and which is tantamount, as well, to the unlawful conduct of ASH's senior clinicians and administrators.
(PJ Reed)
Arizona State Hospital
2500 E. Van Buren St.
Phoenix, AZ 85008
Wil Humble, Director
February 08, 2012
February 08, 2012
Arizona Dept. of Health Services
150 N. 18th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Dr. Mr. Humble:
I cannot apologize for feeling the need to again attempt a direct communication with your office. But I realize that you are a very busy man, and that your responsibilities extend for behind my simple needs. I am also thus compelled to at least express for sincere regret of the fact that the predicament I am working tooth and nail to address has again led me to your door. Any time whatsoever that you can afford me is appreciated, ten-fold. With all the due respect that I can muster, I am going to share my avowed belief that there are critically serious problems in the state of affairs that I am working to address. These problems are endemic. They extend to all tangible forms of patient rights and related protections, as per established law and public policy. I have learned in no ucertaion terms that anytime an individual (such as myself)) who may need to choose to call upon himself in terms of participating in his own treatment to the fullest capacity possible will only run into brick walls, should he attempt to speak up for himself in the face of chronic wrongdoing. I attest to this, my statements are truthful to the best of my knowledge, and I approach you purely from a standpoint of good faith intent.
In considering how I can best apply myself to something I can something I can only describe as an escalation of utter reject in direct defiance of my expressed concerns (some of which I have been embroiled in for 6-8 months), I have determined that what I am experiencing amounts to nothing less than a broken system. I am specifically talking about ADHS/BHS, in the sense of the term, "system".
More specifically, I am deeply concerned in this context about the ADHS/BHS Office of Grievances and Appeals (OGA), as it functions in relation to The Arizona State Hospital (ASH). In keeping of the requirements of the law, as spelled out in the Arizona Administrative Code, Rule 921 Article 4, I began requesting that the ASH ombudsperson, as well as OGA, initiate an investigation into problems that arise under the language of Rule 921 Article 403b at least five months ago, when it become overwhelmingly clear to me that the entire process, as laid out in all applicable provisions of policy and procedure, is being ignored abused or not otherwise applied in accordance what the details afforded therein.
I am interested in remedial action rather than conflict. I am not dedicated to this as matter of personal gain, but i do see it as being ablslutlely requisite in term of the very real needs, rights, and protection of all persons so affected (as I am). I do not intend or have any desire to file suit (although I know I can). I am solely dedicated to doing all I can to see that these issues be resolved to the fullest degree possible, in accordance with the specifaccly available standards, and as spelled out in all/any applicable treatises relating tot he issues at hand, because it si the right thing to do.
In closing, I have no idea if you are in a position as such to read my correspondence. I am doing what I can. Writing you this letter is an expression of civic duty. If, in fact, you do receive and read this, please take a moment, as well, to review the attached documents. I will direct the original grievance to your attention, as well, in the next few days.
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FAST FORWARD September 26, 2013: As stated above, I sent this document to Will Humble about 20 full months ago, at a point in time when I was still a residential patient at The Arizona State Hospital. It is far from the only communique' that I have, to date, forwarded to this man; but this is one my first, and at the time, I did believe I could rely upon him to take a good hard look at the issues that I specifically had sought to bring to light at that time. I did so in numerous formal grievance submissions, as per the protocol and in purely civil terms, to the ADHS/BHS Office of Grievances: and as stated already, these efforts had no significant impact whatsoever in relation to the highly unlawful experiences that I was going through at that time, while still there in the Hospital facility itself. Needless to say- today- I never heard anything back from Will Humble, and as this process of seeking meaningful response and related redress specific to the substandard conditions at The Arizona State Hospital continues, I feel it is high time for we, the citizens of Arizona and beyond, to subject this man to due oversight and related accountability. Even today- as I write- I know for a fact that the patients at ASH are being continually subjected to medical-mental health care treatment practices that fall far below commonly established standards, and herein is the need to bring clear light upon the realities that any person seeking treatment at ASH faces, in fact. Both staff and patients alike are suffering from the graphic ineptitude of Will Humble, Cory Nelson, Donna Noriega, Joel Rudd, and every one of the other individuals at ASH who possess little to no ethos and related character, in terms of the needs of ASH's seriously mentally ill and disabled patient community, as a whole.
paoloreed@gmail.com
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I would really love input of any kind from anybody with any interest whatsoever in the issues that I am sharing in this blog. I mean it, anybody, for I will be the first one to admit that I may be inaccurately depicting certain aspects of the conditions
at ASH, and anonymous comments are fine. In any case, I am more than willing to value anybody's feelings about my writing, and I assure you that I will not intentionally exploit or otherwise abuse your right to express yourself as you deem fit. This topic is far, far too important for anything less. Thank you, whoever you are. Peace and Frogs.