The Arizona State Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, and Western State Hospital, Lakewood, WA. A comparative glance. Only In Arizona, cont.

Psychiatric Hospital Chief Fired After Inmates Escape.
by Corky Sieszmak
NBC National News Desk
April 12, 2016

"The head of a Washington state mental hospital was fired Tuesday after two inmates escaped last week- including one who was accused of torturing a 20 year old to death..."

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PREFACE

Washington state (Western State Hospital. Dateline April 6, 2016): The non-violent escape of two known to be violent and seriously mentally ill hospital patients from a state operated residential psychiatric facility is immediately responded to by Hospital administrators, who- as per the letter of federal and state law, and fundamental ethics- report the escape to law enforcement within 5 minutes of the discovery of the incident, in the interest of public(s) welfare; igniting an equally immediate response of law enforcement officials, at state and federal level, who within thirty minutes notify media as a means to heighten public awareness of the issue as it stands. Within 72 hours of the escape itself, both men are taken into custody. No actual impacts of note arise with respect for the state of the region/community's safety and welfare. Within 5 days of the resolution of this crisis, the Chief Executive officer of the facility is fired. More fallout is expected. 
(Dateline April 16, 2016). 

                                                                                                                     

Arizona (The Arizona State Hospital. Dateline May 24, 2011): The violent escape of one known to be violent and seriously mentally ill patient  from a state operated residential psychiatric facility is willfully concealed by Hospital administrators, in gross violation of federal and state law, ethics, and the public trust- with no meaningful (full) report to law enforcement- with no concern for the public(s) welfare; leaving law enforcement in the dark, both at the state and federal level, and leaving the escaped patient and the greater public at grave risk of harm. Another patient of the same Hospital contacts local press and reports the matter 72 hours after the escape itself, in a good faith attempt to meet his sense of civic duty, with the safety of the public and the escaped patient in mind, and out of concern for his suspicion that the facility's administrators have opted to cover up the escape in order to avoid due oversight and accountability. A reporter from the state's largest newspaper is assigned to investigate the report, and initiates this by contacting Hospital and Arizona Department of Health officials, at which point Hospital administrators patently deny that any escapes had occurred within the given time period in question; unable to confirm the initial report of the escape, the reporter is forced to drop the story. The escapee remains at large for three months, during which time he is involved in several violent events in the greater community and related interactions with police (who have no idea that perpetrator is a recent escapee from the local state operated psychiatric facility), before ultimately going on to brutally murder a young woman. After the murder, a feature article in the state's largest newspaper describing this story includes statements by the Chief Executive Officer of the facility, a non-lawyer, who categorically denies that the Hospital is in any way at fault for the issue, citing federal law and patient privacy as justification for concealing the escape when it occurred; leaving the matter, as it still stands- unresolved. The victim is buried, the victim's family is left to grieve with no explanation or consolation, and the escaped and seriously mentally ill patient- now a killer- is sent to prison. Affairs of the operation of the Hospital, thereafter,  remain unaffected; although in ensuing months, several of the key participants in this story, including the Chief Executive Officer, are promoted from the positions they held at the time of the escape itself (and associated cover up) and the consequent slaying of an innocent member of the greater community. Approximately four years later, following publication of a syndicated news journal (blog) published since 2012 by the same patient who reported the escape while still hospitalized at the facility in question, and related investigation by the local ABC News affiliate in response to increasingly emergent data about myriad issues at the facility needing to be addressed, the Hospital's involved former Chief Executive Officer, and several of his involved subordinates, all holding positions of promotion, are summarily fired from the Hospital and the Arizona Department of Health for issues identified as gross abuse(s) of authority, administrative neglect and ineptitude, and associated mismanagement of the facility; but with only cursory regard for the cover up the escape, and the consequent death of a citizen. To date, any number of others directly complicit in all elements of the cover up of the escape, the death of the citizen, and factors leading to the firings, remain in administrative or otherwise related positions at the Hospital and the Arizona Department of Health. 

(Dateline April 16, 2016)   

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Pervaiz Akhter
Senior ASH Psychiairist
1986-2015

In May, 2011, AZ State Hospital Patient Jesus Rincon Murietta, diagnosed with recurrent schizophrenic  psychosis and known to have a long term  history of extremely violent behavior, violently escaped into the night, south central Phoenix, by assaulting hospital staff and seizing at least one electronic pass card. Hospital admin, physicians and nurses alike immediately opted to not report the escape of this man, who was known as a violent threat to the public, and to himself. Within days of Murietta's violent escape in May, I shared the information- via a patient phone within the confines of ASH- with reporter JJ Hensley of the AZ Republic newspaper, but when he contacted hospital officials, they blatantly denied that any such escapes had occurred, so Hensley could not confirm the issue as it stood then, late May 2011. Ergo, he dropped the story. Which effectively granted ASH's various high ranking staff to get  away with allowing Murietta- a seriously mentally ill and known to be dangerous man- to literally run amok in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. Which, in three months time, did directly lead to the brutal murder of a young Phoenix woman named April Mott. Ms. Mott's tragic death- the murder itself, but not the underlying truths specific to a cycle violence that ASH administrators could have averted-   gained immediate front page news coverage in the local press. I then contacted Hensley again- and again from the Hospital itself- and informed him as follows:  "Dude. Remember the man I told you had escaped ASH, you know, the one they denied as ever being there. He is now on the cover of your paper!" His verbatim response to me during that call: "I feel that I have her blood on my hands." Hensley, after subsequently meeting with me on two separate occasions, then published a four page feature story about the matter itself (see below Victim's family questions  why man was free. ) This singular tragedy, which only slightly exemplifies the far broader details that illustrate ASH's horrific presence in the state of Arizona, is what  compelled me to dedicate a formal research project about the grossly unlawful corruption underlying the much wider realm of day to day ineptitude, negligence, and associated abuse of ASH patients. 

                                   

                                     FACT: At the time Murietta's escape

Ann Froio was the acting Chief Executive Officer 
Dr. Steven Dingle was the Chief Medical Officer.

Donna Noriega was the Chief Operating Officer.
Joel Rudd was ASH's chief legal representative. 
Dr. Morse was Murietta's primary attending ASH physician.

SEE :
1) This blog, publication date April 05, 2012. 
"A Modern Day Horror Story: Wherein the Administrators of the Arizona State Hospital Willfully Put the Safety of the Greater Phoenix, AZ, Community at Risk In Order to Avoid Scrutiny, Leading to the Brutal Murder of a Citizen. May 17, 2011-August 30, 2011." PJ Reed, April 5, 2012.

2) www.azcental.com (Arizona Republic).
"Phoenix victim's family questions why man was free. Mental hospital halted search; escapee now a murder suspect." JJ Hensley, Sept. 28, 2011. 

In utter contradiction to the above described tale of sordid malfeasance specific to ASH, less then 30 minutes following the discovery by staff at Western State Hospital in Lakewood Washington Hospital that two patients had escaped that particular mental health facility, state and federal law enforcement agencies had been fully provided by said staff with information about the escape itself; which in nearly immediate time, also came to local media being alerted as to the fact that these two were at large and very possibly posing risk to the public. In turn, within hours, national media as well began issuing news reports about the matter, which led to the first report of at least one of their whereabouts, when Anthony Garver visited his parents. This transparent presence of communication between all involved parties allowed authorities to at least have some idea of where Garver was, assisting their intent to put available resources in the right area of search. In a short time, the other escapee, Mark Alexander Adams voluntarily surrendered, describing to police that his awareness of how intense the search for them was, compelled him to take that action. And not long later, Garver, too, was located by a trained search dog. In short, the threat to the public in this case had been resolved in a manner consistent with the due obligations of Western State's administrative staff, in under 72 hours.

FACT: Cory Nelson began as ASH' Chief Executive Officer on August 01, 2011.

Jesus Rincon Murietta, on the other hand, ran loose on the streets of Phoenix for three full months, beginning on the day he violently escaped Arizona's sole long term public mental health facility in late May, 2016. During which time he had three direct interactions with Phoenix police, each incident involving assault, and 100% indicative of Murietta's instability and associated threat to the public. Phoenix police, however, had no idea whatsoever of the simple fact that in their custody on those three occasions was a very violent and seriously mentally ill man who had very recently escaped the Arizona State Hospital in an extremely violent manner. So the man- Murietta- was summarily released. Similarly, two weeks following Murietta's actual escape, a hospital staff person reported to ASH administrators that Murietta had appeared to her on a Phoenix metro bus, where he had made very clear death threats towards her and her family. It was apparent, she later told JJ Hensley, that Murietta had been stalking her. But when she reported this too ASH officials, they advised her to stay quiet about it, and as with all other elements of this debacle, refused to report the incident to Phoenix police.. These facts have all been confirmed.

FACT: In late August, 2011, approximately 90 days after escaping ASH,
Murietta brutally beat and the cut the throat of April Mott. 

My work in the context of this blog, and my upcoming book, has always been compelled on behalf of the ASH patient community, all of whom are seriously and acutely disabled, and as such vulnerable to abuse, negligence, and outright malfeasant conduct that we all know is standard practice at ASH. This work, leading in due time (2015), to the firings of no less then seven individuals directly association with the operation of ASH.  In this group were Cory Nelson and Donna Noriega, both former ASH CEOs, acting in promoted positions in the ADHS/BHS construct (we can thank Will Humble for that) by the time newly appointed Health Dept. officials got somewhat on the ball and dutifully removed such individuals from the state public health system.

But why, I ask, did this take four years? Conversely,  in looking at the preface of this article,  why does it take 225% more language- words specifically- to summarize the histories of these two very similar stories?

 Well, I'll tell you why.

In Washington

Associated authorities across the board did the right thing.

Resolving a crisis in less then four days.

It's that simple. 

In Arizona 

All involved parties

 and I am talking about medical staff at ASH across the board

especially the DOCTORS

 as well as all administrative staff 

and a wide host of other Hospital employees

 and the parent agency officials in ADHS/BHS

all blatantly engaged in putting the public at risk.

Simply to save their own asses 

and maintain status quo
furthering a one night cycle of violence
for three more consequent months.

An undeniable consequence of which

APRIL MOTT

a beautiful and innocent young woman

with no connection 
outside of this cover up
to the ones- Rat Bastards-  running ASH

 DIED

a horrific

brutally unacceptable

entirely avoidable

DEATH.

And for this, they were all rewarded.

This, too

is just that

simple.

THESE ARE THE KIND OF PEOPLE

THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.

There is no reasonable explanation for why state officials and authoritative bodies such at the Arizona Board of Medical Examiners, and even federal agencies such The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights, idly sat back and allowed for the grossly substandard medical practices to continue; no explanation, that is, beyond the longstanding discrimination against persons affected by mental illness.  This discrimination- as it specifically applies to the caregivers and administrators of ASH, and their immediate superiors in ADHS/BHS- is a phenomenon of sorts that I believe points to the blackest hearted members of our given species: highly entrusted entities willing to turn a blind eye to criminal misconduct causing extensive harm to the persons these entities are obligated to serve and protect; persons who are highly vulnerable and at immediate risk of abuse, negligence, and other like wrongful mistreatment on the direct basis of their given disability.

FACT: And it is still effectively going on, even today. 

Ergo, as exemplified by the simple fact the administrative staff of Arizona's sole long term  pubic mental health facility were not held accountable for failing to meet their obligations to the public at that point in time when Murietta escaped into the Phoenix night, in comparison to the Washington story, it is undeniably factual that a herd of Rat Bastards who I know were 100% involved were able to get away with their complicity in  causing this cycle of violence. Complicity that led to the brutal murder of an innocent young woman. 

FACT: And they are still getting away with it.
ASH CMO Dr. Steven Dingle.
 ASH Attorney Joel Rudd.
ADHS Office of Grievances and Appeals officials
Margery Ault, Teresa Bedoni, Kara Burke.
Former ASH CEO Ann Froio.
Former ADHS Director Will Humble. 

In Washington, as we have seen in the national broadcasts aired immediately following the escape of Anthony Garver and Mark Alexander Adams, state and federal law enforcement officials were capable of locating and taking these men into custody within 72 hours, securing the safety of the public in a context of Spokane County Sherriff Ozzie Knezoich's statement:

"We were worried, very worried,

that this was a situation

that would go sideways....."

FACT: Washington governor Jay Inslee fired the CEO of Western State Hospital five days following the capture of Anthony Garver and Mark A. Adams. 

While in Arizona, May-September, Hospital and State Department of Health/Behavioral  Health officials created a horrifically hazard risk to the greater public by opting to not report the escape of Jesus Rincon. Bottom line, had the variously entrusted persons working at ASH and in the AZ Department of Health/Behavioral Health Services met  their due diligence as soon as Murietta violently escaped ASH, in a manner consistent with the recent event in Washington state, April Mott would still be alive today. And even following her death, and the arrest of Murietta, Nelson strove to condone the fact that ASH administrators had blatantly failed to take appropriate action, attempting at that time (in the Hensley story) to hide behind the Hospital Information Portability and Protection Act's privacy rule as a means to justify why media and law enforcement authorities were not provided with Murietta's identity and the fact that he was at large in the community. 

A few weeks after Hensley published his story, in mid-October, 2011, I was sitting alone at an outdoor table on the ASH patient mall when Cory Nelson in the flesh approached me and attempted to engage me in a friendly conversation. By that time, I had made several concerted attempts to communicate with him, always I good faith, in the hope that he might be of the right stuff in terms of cleaning up the substandard care practices at ASH. But he virtually flaunted my contacts to that time. And, by that time, given the fact that he had formally participated in highly unlawful means of systematic retaliation against me, (SEE THIS BLOG, April 9, 2012: "Fact #3) Willful unlawful retaliation; criminal abuse of administrative authority; abridgments of internal codes of policy and procedure; blatant denial of patients rights, privileges, and liberties as defined by federal and state law; willful exposure to undue threats to safety; complicity and intent to do harm."), and had also fully engaged in furthering the cover up of the full details underlying the Murietta case, I had determined quite accurately that Nelson  is nothing less then a snake in the grass. When it became clear to him that I was uninterested in discussing any of the work I was doing in documenting my experiences at ASH with him, he grew quite icey, got up, and stated "I know you met with JJ Hensley." The veiled threat was intrinsic, but I had learned by then that if I was going to do anything of use on behalf of my patient-peers, I could not allow myself to cow down to the fact that these people were literally willing to whatever they might have to in order to avoid accountability. 

 So I looked the Rat Bastard in the eye, and said, verbatim, 

"Good. You should know. You're not going to get away with this shit." 
(October 2012) FACT: Cory Nelson, acting Deputy Director of AZ Behavioral Health Services,
 Donna Noriega, CEO of ASH,
and no less then  five others in the ADHS/BHS construct
were summarily fired from their positions
in the ADHS/BHS construct
in spring, 2015. 
Three and one half years after the death of April Mott. 

And while it's good to know that at least a few of the ones directly involved in what some are now calling the ugliest public mental health ability in the new millennium have been somewhat held accountable, the bare bones fact is, a barn full of others who I know for a fact were fully involved in the corruption I have been reporting since spring 2012, relying on data that I had been compiling since my arrival to ASH in 2011 (at which point, a full as in unopened bottle of Ambien- my property- was immediately  stolen by someone on the ASH end of my transfer from Tucson). What I am  getting at is that the cover up of Murietta's escape most definitely arose due to widespread corruption, a decision that most necessarily took teamwork (pack rat mentality), including the involvement of a wide range of people directly involved with the operation of ASH, from doctors, administrators, to state officials alike. And to only add to the horrific nature of this tale, not only did former CEO Nelson and his associates in both the administrative as well as the clinical offices of ASH get away with it, they were all in time- that's Donna Noriega (then the ASH Chief Operating Officer), long acting ASH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Steven Dingle- subsequently granted promotions within the ADHS/BHS by then acting Director of ADHS, Will "Yea Team!" Humble. To myself, at the time(s) of these persons promotions, it appeared as though they were all being awarded for engaging in radical exhibitions of unethical ineptitude.

FACT: At this time at The Arizona State Hospital:
 Dr. Aaron Bowen is the Chief Executive Officer.
Ryan Hoffman is the Chief Operating Officer.
Dr. Steven Dingle is (still) the Chief Medical Officer.
Joel Rudd is (still) the facility's chief legal representative. 

Only in Arizona. For now. 

The staff of PJ Reed The Arizona State Hospital and Patient Abuse have published over 450 articles, essays, and other like textural data specific to the abject dereliction of duty that dozens on individuals directly associated with the operation of ASH, which I know from personal experiences lands most squarely on the heads of ASH patients. It's simple enough to connect the dots, the notion that, if persons entrusted to manage the operation of ASH and oversee the role of medical and technician staff aren't able to understand the importance of meeting their obligations, just imagine how that effects the patients themselves. And in the context of how far beyond the walls and fences of the Hospital itself the impacts of this corruption actually go, we must consider as well, patient's families, and in the tragic case of April Mott, the greater public. 

I am always inclined to mention, as well, the Good Staff at ASH, because as I have made clear, they are there and you know who you are, and who I am; and that we share the knowledge, that were the administrators of ASH simply willing and able to meet their full obligations, as per the terms of their respective licensure and the merits of the public trust, Good Staff could do good work, as they sincerely wish to do. Because these Pearls in the Desert know as I do that the ASH patient community deserve nothing less then optimum care, in a manner 100% consistent with any other human being.

IN CLOSING: It should be noted that much like the current status of the operation of ASH, Western State Hospital has for some time also been garnering ongoing federal investigation as a public mental health facility- a "state hospital"- on the basis of evidence to the effect that administrators there have been neglecting their responsibilities, to the detriment of patients, and as this recent escape illustrates, potentially threat to the greater public. No surprise, as I see it, for as a colleague mine with much more experience then I as a mental health advocate/activist puts it, "State mental hospitals are snake pits of patient abuse." I am actually thinking of heading out that way, Washington state, to do a little poking around of my own, now that my credentials have been established in the contact of routing out Rat Bastards who I know are involved in harming the mentally ill.  This whole comparative analysis thing is pretty compelling, so... Maybe once I complete a reasonable first draft of PJ Reed The Arizona State Hospital and Patient Abuse: THE BOOK. 

paoloreed@gmail.com