But amid the state's investigation, James Smith, the superintendent of the North Texas State Hospital, offered a spirited defense of Roy and his colleagues, saying he disagreed with the findings and had doubts about the "objectivity" of the Adult Protective Services review. I would like to see, in the next session, an investment.. Some 3.3 million adult Texans about one in nine adults suffered from mental illness between 2017 and 2018, the latest data available, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Lights go on and off by themselves, and witnesses have heard moans, wails, and the rattling of chains. Alexander Scott Ervin . The Austin American-Statesmen previously reported that Ervin was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2013 fatal stabbing of his 58-year-old father in West Austin. Due to COVID restrictions, the family didnt visit Justin for extended periods. Days after his arrival, the 55-year-old was dead the victim of a restraint gone wrong. She said another assistant, Oscar Tinoco, had subdued Keith Clayton on the floor of a hallway near the elevator. To learn more and volunteer, visit our Volunteer Services Council website. One summer afternoon in the late sixties . The campus is not all free-roaming. "Once they're admitted, the handcuffs and shackles come off and they become patients of the public mental health system," Jeff Bearden, director of the hospital's Forensic Psychiatric Program, told abc13. Men and women are in the same buildings, but do not share dorms. "It's just a calculated effort to not make it oppressive.". General Psychiatry, Addiction, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry. Still Practicing: Tracking Problem Doctors, Texas Coronavirus Vaccine Rollout Investigations, Sign up for More than the Score Sports newsletter, GoFundMe to help pay for Justin Reeders funeral expenses, State mental hospital backlog grows, new record exceeds 2,500 waiting in jail, State hospital staffing emergency looms as record 2,100 wait in jail for treatment, As Bowie archive finds new home at UK museum, start, 5 fun crafts for kids on St. Patricks Day, Inspired by the Iditarod race? The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. State Hospital North. What happened during Keith Clayton's short stay at the psychiatric hospital hundreds of miles from home is still a mystery to his family members, who say the state has refused to give them an explanation. They live in dormitory style rooms. "I really don't feel comfortable just talking to you over the phone about something that happened two years ago," he said. The 1980s saw Vernon State Hospital redefined as the states forensic psychiatric facility, resulting in expansion of the hospitals service area from 23 to 53 counties. He was unconscious, unresponsive and pulseless, according to a hospital clinical report. Police interviewed Tinoco and Roy five days later. Investigators from Adult Protective Services, a state agency that looks into possible mistreatment of adults with disabilities, set out to determine if the restraint used on Clayton was tantamount to abuse. In 1925, the facility was renamed the Austin State Hospital. Last summer, Joshua Lopez, who shot and killed ElmendorfPolice Chief Michael Pimentel nearly fouryears ago, arrived here after years of legal wrangling and competency hearings. Justin . County officials said they could not locate an autopsy report matching the description of the patient, whose identity is unknown. Throughout Justins life there were times when he would experience a cycle, or period where his medications werent balanced or effective. It is not clear why Justin was transferred, Mandy said. Marty Cirkiel, a lawyer with experience in abuse and neglect cases at state hospitals, said that while state health officials must conduct a "root cause analysis" of deaths at state hospitals, those reports often do not become public without litigation. And we couldnt do that., Mandy said she was disturbed by Justins downward spiral and that he was being put in mechanical restraints a chair with a four-point restraint, ankles and wrists.. Staff rushed to the scene, where they saw blood on the floor and on Keith Clayton's forehead. Updated: Nov 15, 2022 / 10:41 PM CST. 300 Hospital Drive Orofino, ID 83544 United States. He started in Terrell State Hospital, about 30 miles east of Dallas, his mother said. Adult Protective Services investigators determined that Roy had committed "Class I Physical Abuse.". According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, it costs $697 a day to treat a patient at North Texas State Hospital. The current location address for North Texas State Hospital (vernon Campus) is 4730 College Dr, , Vernon, Texas and the contact number is 940-552-4055 and fax number is 940-553-2523. 55 were here. Leading up to his time in the state hospital, Mandy said his medication had become less effective. Actively violent patients - theyre called patients, not inmates are kept in a more secure area. About 2,500 patients reside in those hospitals at any day, and . Copyright 2018 by KSAT - All rights reserved. We didnt even know he had these fractures, and we should have been notified about anything, and they didnt even happen that night.. State hospital data shows a third of the systems available beds have been taken offline, and HHSC officials have said most of those werent available because of staffing issues. Surrounding the facility is a 15-foot-high unclimbable fence. Love Your Work. RELATED: APB issued for escaped North Texas State Hospital patient. That's the case with the award-winning Pullitzer Prize-nominated author David Foster Wallace. He died Nov. 30. He was charged with murder and was jailed in lieu of $1 million bail. respectively, Tinoco and Roy were a combined 365 lbs. 6515 Kemp Boulevard Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. A second employee, James Roy, joined in the restraint, later telling police he tried to help Tinoco by lying across the patient's legs to prevent him from kicking. As patients comply with treatment they are moved out and into other parts of the campus. A spokeswoman for the city of Wichita Falls provided Love's interview transcripts to the Tribune but said she could not locate the other documents. 22, 2023. . Make a difference in someones life. It is Medicare certified. To be nationally ranked in a specialty, a hospital must excel in caring for the sickest, most medically complex patients. U.S. News has extensive information in each doctor's profile to help you find the best one for you. "We knew he needed help," Anna Clayton would later tell a police detective. Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, TX is nationally ranked in 10 adult specialties. All of that is very intentional, according to Bearden. According to Vernon Police Department Captain Wayne Hodges: Shortly before 7 p.m., Sunday, Alexander Ervin, 29, was taken into custody in Austin by city police. Ervin's brother Maxwell reportedly told jurors that the man thought his father was "an imposter" and that Alexander "was a trained member of the CIA on a mission to kill him.". Students Suffer. Vernon, TX 76385 Information. Staff removed patient from the restraint chair and placed him on the floor. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Sign Up for Daily News & Breaking News Newsletters, Sign up for Digging Deep: Inside KXAN Investigates newsletter. To help patients decide where to receive care, U.S. News generates hospital rankings by evaluating data on nearly 5,000 hospitals. They wouldn't tell us anything.". Justin was combative and had aggressive outbursts she said he couldnt control. Contact: North Texas State Hospital 6515 Kemp Boulevard Wichita Falls TX, 76308 www.tx.us (940) 692-1220. In 1888 the hospital was renamed "North Texas Hospital for the Insane". Officials there said they could not discuss specifics of the hospital's dealings with the family. We have security observation towers, use electronic monitoring and have cameras in our buildings and in certain areas outside of our buildings, he said. He had a girlfriend. "I recommend this case be closed / cleared as an accidental death," Love wrote. A Wichita County grand jury returned the indictment against Johnny Guadalupe Rivera on Feb . Once Justin entered the state hospital system, things went downhill, Mandy said. The campus is not all free roaming. Law enforcement is on the hunt for a patient that escaped from a state mental health facility in North Texas. Actively violent patients are kept in a more secure, constantly locked unit where staff work behind fortified glass and locked doors. "That's the only way.". About two years ago, the Reeders decided to place him in the care of a state hospital. Alexander Ervin, 29, has been missing from the Vernon Campus of the North Texas State Hospital since Monday morning, June 27, according to Texomas Homepage, the digital news component of KFDX/KJTL News. When the Tribune obtained a list of employees who witnessed the restraint and presented it to the state health department, officials said it would cost more than $400 to provide information about those employees. Four days later, Keith Clayton was pronounced dead in an emergency room. "Called us Wednesday, said he was doing fine.". State statistics show the wait list has grown in recent years. Detectives arrested Johnny Rivera, 23. 4730 College Drive, Vernon, TX, 76384-4009 "I talked to UT Health Science Center. For eight years before he entered the state hospital system, Justin had been living at home with his parents. The North Texas State Hospital (NTSH) is an inpatient mental health facility owned by the State of Texas and under the Texas Health and Human Service Commission 's Health and Specialty Care System division. Stay protected and up-to-date with the latest information. The campuses serve people who have been screened and referred by their local mental health authority. Fax: 940-552-1007. He resisted a nurses attempt to administer a drug to treat his agitation, and he was swinging at staff. Unable to verbally de-escalate the situation, a nurse directed staff to place (Justin) in a mechanical restraint., Once Justin was restrained in a chair, he was taken to a seclusion area.. Persons with felony charges who have been found incompetent to stand trial; Persons admitted for pre-trial evaluations for. (940) 692-1220. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. It is considered the largest state hospital in Texas serving over 30 counties. A pilot program is exploring adding competency-restoration in county jails. Justin, whose brothers, Alex and Jonathan, remember his heart of gold and how proud he was of his first paycheck. A man acquitted by reason of insanity of murder escaped the North Texas State Hospital on June 27. U.S. News evaluated 590 hospitals in Texas. NTSH has three campuses, one in Wichita Falls and two in Vernon. AUSTIN (KXAN) Mandy Reeder has been left devastated and baffled by the loss of her eldest son who died in North Texas State Hospital in September. and 280 lbs. Forerunner to the North Texas State Hospital, the state of Texas created the Northwest Texas Insane Asylum in 1917 on a 940-acre tract just south of Wichita Falls. US News has published patient experience ratings at, Best Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), Best Medicare Advantage Plan Companies 2023, Best Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan Companies 2023, Find Continuing Care Retirement Communites. His arrival and the initial three days of his stay were, by all accounts, without incident. It took five months for a medical examiner to rule the death an accident. Mandy said she spoke with the doctor who attended Justin in the ER and tried to revive him. Having Keith Clayton committed seemed the best option to his parents, who were approaching their 80s and felt ill-equipped to care for a grown man with a serious mental illness and a history of alcoholism. 4730 College Drive, Vernon, There are a few things everyone should know before visiting us: We hope you come visit us and your loved ones in our care soon! Wichita Falls Police have arrested a murder suspect in an incident that occurred at the North Texas State Hospital Nov. 20. In the wake of Justins death, Mandy and his family have been left searching for answers and regretting the decision to move him into the state hospital. The name North Texas Hospital for the Insane was adopted in 1888 and used until 1925 when Dr. George Powell, Superintendent, requested that the name be changed to Terrell State Hospital. In a brief telephone interview, Tinoco said he resigned his state hospital job of his own accord and that it was unrelated to Clayton's death. No pulse. The medical examiner reports a 39-year old man from . According to Mental Floss, he stayed in . Anna Clayton, now 86, said the family eventually gave up on trying to discover the circumstances of his death. There has not been any help on the way for years. State hospital facilities are Medicare-certified and Medicaid-approved, and has been accredited by The Joint Commission (TJC). "We just had no other choice.". . Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in Houston, TX is nationally ranked in 6 adult specialties. Coverage Areas: Kaufman County. the hospital is a facility where patients are treated after they've been deemed either . By that time, Tinoco had left the state hospital and was working at a nearby factory. The grief hits you in waves, Mandy said. By 1925, the name changed to Wichita Falls State Hospital, and the facility included a modern surgical operating room plus radiology, laboratory, electrotherapy and . 1,001-5,000 employees. Website. At the North Texas State Hospital, another patient, a 46-year-old black woman, died in March 2014 one month before Clayton after collapsing in the dining area, state records show. Although not a maximum security facility, the campus is guarded, and buildings (which are not guarded) are constantly locked with very limited access. On the day of abc13's visit, some of the mentally ill accused criminals were silk-screening shirts for a nearby school, while others were pruning plants for an on-site nursery. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, visitation hours may be restricted. Before your visit, please contact the patients treatment team to coordinate any visits or releases. Hospital CEO James Smith described the hospital as "maybe the last best place for people who are hopeless.". Its our 10th year participating in Amplify, and to celebrate, weve got $15,000 in matching funds from four generous Tribune supporters. In all the years Justin had lived at home through difficult periods and outbursts that could require physical restraint never once did Justin get anything beyond a bruise or scratch, Mandy said. Mandy spoke with KXAN by phone from her familys hometown of Pickton, a Northeast Texas hamlet. "Since you were positioned securing the patient's feet in the restraint you were responsible for notifying the other employee involved in the restraint the patient was in a prone position and to reposition the patient into a side-lying position," Roy's supervisors wrote in his termination letter. Read more , Christus Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler in Tyler, TX is not nationally ranked in any specialty. "A relatively minor trauma even the physical intervention of a perfectly-performed restraint can lead to rupture," Smith quoted Baker as saying. Amplify your impact and donate now. IDD Service Coordinator at Helen Farabee Centers. Proudly providing successful drug and alcohol treatment services in Vernon, TX, North Texas State Hospital customizes each treatment program to the patient's status and special needs. VERNON, Texas (KXAN) An Austin man acquitted in his father's death is on the run, after escaping the North Texas State Hospital. Texas chain with San Antonio bakeries files for bankruptcy, How a viral chicken fried steak briefly closed down Mr. Juicy, Puerto Rican restaurant finds new life in former Rosario's spot, Report: San Antonio Rep. 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