NewYork-Presbyterian fined $500K after mental health patients left unsupervised

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has reached a settlement after an investigation into its handling of mental health emergencies. The agreement follows incidents where patients with severe mental illness left the hospital unsupervised. Authorities have now imposed stricter rules to prevent future failures.

The investigation focused on the Brooklyn Methodist campus, one of the hospital’s ten locations. In one case, a woman with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia left before being safely transferred to her nursing home. Another incident involved a young man with schizophrenia who fled the emergency department despite being considered a danger to himself and others.

Under the settlement, NewYork-Presbyterian must bring all licensed inpatient psychiatric beds back into service. The hospital will also pay a $500,000 fine and face a $10,000 penalty for any future violations. Additionally, it must improve screening to better identify patients at risk of suicide or violence. Patient monitoring will be strengthened to stop unauthorised departures, known as elopement. Attorney General Letitia James stated that these measures would protect vulnerable patients and ensure they receive proper care. The agreement comes as demand for mental health services grows, with 3 million adult New Yorkers living with mental illness.

The settlement forces NewYork-Presbyterian to restore psychiatric beds and tighten safety protocols. Stricter screening and monitoring aim to prevent patients from leaving without supervision. The hospital now faces financial penalties if it fails to comply with the new rules.