RE Western Psychiatric State Hospital Association. 

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WPSHA
Western Psychiatric
State Hospital Association

c/o Utah State Hospital Association
P. O. Box 270
Provo, UT 84603-0270
Phone (801) 344-4200
Fax (801) 344-4291
http://www.wpsha.org

Dr. Aaron Bowen
Chief Executive Officer
Arizona State Hospital
Spring 2015-present

TAKE NOTICE: Is it any coincidence that this rather dubious organization, (and I use that term solely because Western Psychiatric Hospital Assoc. [aka WPSHA] was established in the arguably private interests of medical professionals whose salaries are paid by we, the public... which I find dubious indeed), was very recently headed by the former director of the Arizona State Hospital, Cory Nelson himself, and that the Arizona chapter's member is, at this time, the current director of ASH, Dr. Aaron Bowen. Quite frankly, at this early juncture of my investigating the nature of WPSHA in itself, I don't quite know how to look at the situation, as it stands.

Or do I? At risk of being incorrect- which I am willing to go to on the basis of the fact that thus far, my original suspicions (circa 2011-12, as reflected in the bulk of content in this blog) about the highly questionable character of persons such as Donna Noriega, Joel Rudd, Jennifer Alewelt, Dr. Steven Dingle (and on the list can go) have turned out to be 100% on point- I am more then willing to remain relatively openminded about the possibility that Cory Nelson's presence in WPSHA  was an anomaly, of sorts; a one time rogue, as it were, wherein I may be characterizing the character of the many on the basis of one. Let's hope this is the case, in fact.

Until this is made true, however, I am going to continue to suggest that this specific matter is deserving of more investigation.  For the fact is, Western Psychiatric State Hospital Association was established not via any nature of publicly divested interest, but rather by a group of psychiatrists, facility directors,  and/or other like employees of state managed psychiatric hospitals. Verbatim from the WPSHA website:

"Approval of the bylaws was accomplished and officers were elected. It was (then) determined that membership would be available to WPSHA for all directors and superintendents of psychiatric state hospitals...." (see below).

Warning, Will Robinson! Limited membership! To you know who!

This body of membership is clearly an elite as in privileged as in likely swashbuckling squad of secret keepers. Why else would said membership be closed to those persons in executive positions in facilities known via historical fact to be operating in defiance of public sentiment and associated law and policy? And with this in mind, what more might we learn about the subject of  publicly managed state hospitals?!? I mean, really, these are institutions funded by citizen based taxation in any given state's administrative construct.

IN OTHER WORDS, WE THE CITIZEN-CONSUMERS PAY THESE PEOPLE. AND THEY ARE NOT ELECTED BY OR OTHERWISE APPOINTED VIA  PUBLIC OVERSIGHT, BUT RATHER HIRED BY OTHER LIKE STATE OFFICALS WHO ARE NOT NECASSARILY QUALIFIED IN THE SAME CONTEXT.

It only follows that these are facilities obligated to optimally serve the needs and interests not of a consortium of physicians (psychiatrists or otherwise), but we, the general public. One can safely presume, I feel, that board members of WPSHA will claim to any outside inquiry that the mission of this organization is to serve the general public in this context, as stated below in their stated history and related mission statement. 

But tell me, please, are members of the public granted entry into the clubhouse? Or what? 

This from Nelson's current resume:

      President

• Western Psychiatric State Hospital Association

  September 2009 – September 2012 (3 years 1 month)

This from the current WPSHA website:

ARIZONA Phoenix
		Arizona State Hospital Aaron Bowen, PsyD, CEO 2500 East Van Buren Street Phoenix, AZ 85008 Phone: (602) 220-6000 Fax: (602) 220-6292 Email: aaron.bowen@azdhs.gov Assistant: Melissa Becerra Email: melissa.becerra@azdhs.gov		Tiffany Williams, RN-PC, CPHQ Interim Chief Quality Officer Phone: (602) 220-6171 Fax: (602) 220-6288 Email: tiffany.williams@azdhs.gov Web Page: www.azdhs.gov/azsh/ index.htm

So, beyond the membership/involvement of those two, let's just see what else the WPSHA website (www.wpsha.org) has to offer:

History The Western Psychiatric State Hospitals Association (WPSHA) evolved as an ad hoc committee to the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE) as there was seen a need by directors and superintendents of state psychiatric hospitals for a forum in which to discuss mutual objectives and techniques for conducting the care and treatment of the mentally ill. This September, 1989, the first meeting of the Board of Directors of the Western Psychiatric State Hospital Association met in San Francisco. Approval of the bylaws was accomplished and officers were elected. It was determined that membership would be available to WPSHA for all directors and superintendents of psychiatric state hospitals of the fifteen WICHE member and affiliated states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming). WPSHA has provided a model for Regional State Hospital Associations organized by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD). WPSHA’s efforts to compare performance measures among member hospitals also provided a model for the development of a national performance measurement system for state psychiatric hospitals to meet JCAHO’s ORYX requirements. WPSHA conferences are designed to provide an opportunity for participating hospitals to learn from others and to discuss effective approaches for addressing common problems. Mission Statement The Western Psychiatric State Hospital Association is committed to ensuring that effective, state-of-the-art mental health treatment and rehabilitation services are provided to the citizens served by publicly operated hospitals. Vision The Western Psychiatric State Hospital Association will serve as a model for regional collaboration, continuing to provide a forum both for the education of the executive management of state psychiatric hospitals and participation in the national debate on issues relevant to public hospital services. Objectives Provide input as an organization in national policy development regarding standards of care, i.e., to federal regulators and the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Share innovative approaches to treatment provision and hospital management through staff development activities within the region, presentations at the annual Association conference, and the publication of position papers. Participation in joint research and surveys to continuously improve services. Act as a resource, sharing expertise and responding to individual hospital needs. EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS Education                                             Information Professional contact with other state psychiatric hospitals Referral network of resources Annual conference

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Again, the above statement basically claims the it is the public who are primarily served by the founding and activities of WPSHA, and further states that the overall purpose of the organization is to create an window for measured performance levels, etc. However, as stated in the first sentence of thee above "history", the supposed need underlying the founding of this quasi-private organization was expressed by persons charged via the public trust to oversee the care needs and interests of disabled American citizens- aka the public- who have no voice in establishing how such facilities conduct the operation of such places; nor do the families of such persons play a role in this context, or the greater public in general.  With this element of concern in mind, who outside of bureaucrats working for the associated organizations, as included above (WICHE, NASMHPD, JAHCO), are centrally involved with determining whether meeting said performance levels are going to ensure optimum, direct health care to the disabled clientele found in such facilities? Likewise, what are the developmental factors- and who creates them- that lead to valid quotient(s) which would apply to determining such levels? The public? I don't think so. 

With these issues in mind, I am compelled to state yet again that I have learned by now there is very likely something questionable about any business entity formed in the interest of persons in positions of power in state psychiatric hospitals across the board. Likewise, humbly speaking, I know better then to be sold by the above mission statement, or the fact that this business entity is designated as  non-profit "association". As I see it, it is- all of it- 100% consistent with grossly disconnected forms of administrative approaches that for far, far too many years, has allowed state hospitals to operate in a manner that defies contemporary medical standards, this in terms of health care ethics, and related law and policy. And do they get away with? Well, as exhibited above by the highly limited membership standards of WPSHA, and with history of ASH in mind, wherein persons such Donna Noriega and Cory Nelson are now recognized as patently unreliable administrators (lying to the public, shredding documents, etc.), it has everything to with maintaining secrecy- no matter what it takes.

On that note, I encourage anybody with information about WPSHA  to fill us in, either in direct communication via this blog's comment page, or via the following email address. The staff of PJ Reed The Arizona State Hospital is definitely preparing to conduct a more thorough investigation of  WPSHA , but that might take some time; indeed, any immediate inquiries we direct towards the organization's board members may well serve as an early test of the waters, as it were. Will said waters turn out to be transparent, as in clean, or will they be recognizable as tantamount to the murkiness we most generally find- as history has shown time and time again- when it comes to state mental institutions (be it ASH or not), where administrative staff willfully go around the mountain and back in order to deny public access to what actually goes on in such places, hiding behind HIPPA, for example, and other less obvious terms of standard. The known credos "What happens at ASH, stays at ASH..." comes to mind, for example, along with the fact that former ASH director Cory "meathead" Nelson  and his various associates in the administrative offices at ASH are currently suspected of shredding public documents, as in patient records and other like information that they knew to be indictable of the rampant presence of corruption and associated substandard care practices and conditions at ASH).

IN CLOSING: As always, I also encourage any of like mind to the purpose of this blog (I like to say "Who needs a mission statement when we aren't concerned about getting any profit or credit, in effect, for what we do?") to conduct your own looking into  WPSHA. And more power to you, and as always- Thanks! 

paoloreed@gmail.com