LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Michael Webber on Thursday included the chairman of the new House Oversight Subcommittee on Child Welfare in a letter to the director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services following up on a growing list of concerns for patient rights and the care of minors at state-run psychiatric care facilities.
“Again and again, MDHHS leadership has been less than cooperative in addressing the serious concerns over patient rights and care at these state facilities,” said Webber, R-Rochester Hills. “I remain hopeful that increased oversight pressure from the Legislature, along with the state auditor general’s ongoing investigation, will help shed more light on the agency’s failures so proper changes can be made to ensure vulnerable patients and their families receive the care they deserve.”
In his letter to MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel, the senator wrote, “As a lawmaker, I have continued to investigate your department’s management of our state hospital system. The deeper I look, the worse it gets — patient escapes, an unannounced active shooter drill, violent attacks, settled lawsuits, serious concerns over nutritional support and recipient rights complaints going unanswered.”
He goes on to request answers from MDHHS on various concerns, including:
- Updated work rules following the unannounced December 2022 shooter drill at the Hawthorn Center.
- Office of Recipient Rights complaints and access to video footage.
- Educational opportunities and understaffing at the Walter P. Reuther Psychiatric Hospital.
- A lawsuit over patient abuse and lack of staff accountability surrounding an incident involving a 10-year-old resident at Walter P. Reuther Psychiatric Hospital.
- Plans for the new state psychiatric hospital to be built at the Hawthorn Center location in Northville Township.
Webber has introduced legislation to address growing concerns over patient rights and oversight at state-run psychiatric hospitals. He has also pushed for legislative hearings, hosted a listening session with former patients and parents and questioned MDHHS leadership about alarms raised regarding care and safety. The state Office of the Auditor General has also launched an independent investigation into how the Office of Recipient Rights handles allegations at state-run psychiatric hospitals, with a report expected later this year, following a request initiated by Webber.