Direct Line: 904-302-6739 This happened, she said, despite the fact that medical staff was supposed to check on her welfare every 15 minutes. 9241 Park Royal Drive Fort Myers, FL 33908-9204. Mr. Danilo Cruz is the best Lawyer and his team. Patients may be transferred if hospitals lack the capacity or capability to treat them, and receiving hospitals must accept transfers unless they lack the capacity or capability. About 18 months later, Benjamin Bland was accused of sexually abusing several female patients, triggering a lawsuit that led to allegations of negligent hiring and oversight. The customer service is unique, they have been battling alongside me since day 1. Another accuser, Reed said, "came off to me that day as being someone who just wanted to belong." Gamez didn't independently review the video, relying only on Reed's word and a seconds-long clip Reed showed him as a sample of the tape. The events alleged in the lawsuits took place before Ham came to the hospital. The 103-bed Park Royal, which is owned by the Franklin, Tennessee-based Acadia Healthcare, admitted no wrong-doing, according to the plaintiffs attorney, Dennis Webb. Park Royal Hospital didnt admit liability in the settlement. Fort Myers Psychiatric Hospital Faces Lawsuits Tag Archives: Park Royal Hospital. Kevin Lewis out as SalusCare chief; interim CEO named, Tina Sumo, assistant vice president for acute care services at SalusCare, said the facility is at capacity "more times than not.". Just complete the following form. $550,000. Both employees, Raynor testified, had previously worked with Bland at a Fort Myers medical center and raised no red flags. In one deposition, a woman identified as Jane Doe III said she had been sexually abused twice before, and now she felt guilt and shame after the third assault. OIG alleged that Park Royal refused to accept a transfer of the patient, despite having the specialized capabilities to stabilize the patient and the capacity at the time of transfer, because the patient's insurance was out of network. Alex is now suing the hospital. Any third party logos and/or content provided herein is owned by such third parties and is used by permission herein. I dont know when he was hired. 11, 2019, 4:37 p.m. The documents, filed as part of a soon-to-be-settled lawsuit, include sworn testimony from the hospital's top brass, the lead sheriff's detective and three of the women who came forward with allegations. In some states, typically in emergencies, insurance companies are required to treat the care provided like its in network, but after that, when there is no longer an emergency, its out of network. The third accuser underwent electroshock therapy in the days before and after making the claims. The 103-bed Park Royal, which is owned by the Franklin, Tennessee-based Acadia Healthcare, admitted no wrong-doing, according to the plaintiffs attorney, Dennis Webb. Park Royal Hospital Park Royal, located in south Fort Myers, is Lee Countys only inpatient psychiatric health center and one of the community's two designated receiving facilities for people taken in for involuntary mental health evaluation under Floridas Baker Act. According to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, or AHCA, the 103-bed hospital recently turned away three patients seeking transfer from acute-care hospitals. Park FL Copyright 2023 by Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) & Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA). Direct Line: 407-352-3535 Mike Ham, the CEO of Park Royal Hospital, did not respond to an interview request on Friday. Ultimately, a sheriff's detective, Osvaldo Gamez, determined there wasn't probable cause to arrest Bland, and the hospital's internal investigator, James Reed, said there wasn't evidence to prove the allegations. In his deposition, Gamez, the Lee County sheriff's detective, testified repeatedly that Reed, the hospital's internal investigator, told him there was no video surveillance backing up one accuser's claim. All rights reserved. "I was moving on with my life, and I thought I was getting help," one accuser, identified as Mary Doe II, said in a February deposition. Representatives for Acadia Healthcare, a Tennessee-based Corp. with about 250 health care facilities, including Park Royal Hospital, didn't respond in the past week to requests for comment. 0 Ratings. AHCA did not disclose when these patients were turned away, citing medical privacy laws. One patient said Bland sexually assaulted her in a bathroom. The Lee County Sheriff's Office later determined that the sex was consensual and that no crime had occurred, Webb said. "I act like I'm strong and I survive," Mary Doe II said, "but the truth is I'm not.". A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. FL "The lady went into Park Royal to get help, and she left there in a police car basicallyand was taken to a rape crisis center, which is an extremely dehumanizing procedure for a woman," Webb said. On May 6, 2019, Park Royal Hospital (Park Royal), Fort Meyers, Florida, entered into a $52,414 settlement agreement with OIG. Mike Ham, the CEO of Park Royal Hospital, did not respond to an interview request on Friday. #searchlist h2 a {color:#222; text-decoration:none; } She told deputiesthe incident must have happened after she arrived at the hospital because she does not use condoms and didn't notice it during her previous shower. The hospital's staff also didn't contact anybody from Dollar Tree Inc., where Bland said he was an assistant manager from 2008 to 2011. He added companies are often reluctant to talk about performance of former employees for legal reasons. Deputies say Benjamin Bland sexually assaulted five people at Park Royal Park Royal Hospital - Preferred Fort Myers Mental Health Park Royal Hospital provides 32114, Phone: 844-200-0000 Bland returned to his job one week later. blank! Our lawyers can help families get answers and hold wrongdoers accountable for their lack of responsibility and carelessness. Meet the Staff | Park Royal - Park Royal Hospital It did not comment by press time. Facsimile: 407-770-6066, 816 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd. #searchlist h2 {font-family:'Myriad W01 SmBd', sans-serif; color: #616161; font-size: 0.81255em; /* 13/16 */ line-height: 1.1em; text-transform: uppercase;} $345,000. A second lawsuit was also filed against the hospital claiming an employee named Anthony Guarino had fondled a patient. Hospital Settles EMTALA Case Over Suicidal Patient With Direct Line: 352-414-5981 "The key there, from our perspective, is that being an assistant manager at Dollar Tree, we didn't feel it was relevant in terms of experience as a mental health tech," Raynor, the hospital's human relations director, said in a deposition. PARK ROYAL HOSPITAL is a medical group practice located in Fort Myers, FL that specializes in Counseling and Social Work. Facsimile: 561-425-9766, Business Interruption Insurance & COVID-19, Business Owners & Hurricane Insurance Claims. FL Park Royal Hospital in Fort Myers, Florida, agreed to settle allegations of violating the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) when it refused to accept the transfer of a suicidal Your use of this site to is subject to our, Hospital Settles EMTALA Case Over Suicidal Patient With Insurance. Under EMTALA, hospitals must give all patients who show up at the emergency room a medical screening exam (MSE) regardless of their ability to pay, and stabilize them if they present with an emergency medical condition (EMC). So, (I) just kind of tried to say that I didn't want that, and then tried to just, you know, deal with it kind of.". Death resulting from hospital turning away patient. Ultimately, the charges in both states were dropped, likely explaining why they didn't show up on background checks. Meanwhile, CMS on July 2 issued guidance on EMTALA and psychiatric hospitals, partly because surveyors have been applying it differently in different regions, attorneys say (CMS: With EMTALA, ED Doctors Can Do Psych MSE; Transfers May Be OK Despite Open Bed, RMC 28, no. Auto accident involving tractor trailer. All rights reserved. Facsimile: 239-689-1548, Phone: 844-200-0000 34205, Phone: 844-200-0000 The victims family filed the lawsuit in Lee County, naming Landers and Park Royal Hospital as defendants. Social Work. Mike Ham, the CEO of Park Royal Hospital, did not respond to an interview request on Friday. In hindsight, the decisions by the detective and the hospital's investigator might seem wrong, but the case against Bland was difficult to prove. Tag Archives: Park Royal Hospital. The family of a man who committed suicide at Park Royal Hospital in Fort Myers in 2014 recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the 103-bed psychiatric hospital, alleging the facility was negligent when it allowed the now deceased patient to remain unsupervised. Taken together, the filings raise questions about whether the assaults on several women who suffered from drug addiction, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other illnesses, and some of whom had been raped in the past could have been prevented. "I informed the CEO and I informed the human resource director that I could not validate or make validation of the allegations," Reed said in a deposition. Former patients of Park Royal Hospital, Lee Countys only inpatient psychiatric health center, have settled a lawsuit over a former employee accused of sexually abusing them. Based on the insurance information, and bed availability, they will accept or refer the patient to another facility., Park Royal Hospital plans $1.8 million expansion. "And I was in an institution that was supposed to be giving me help, and all it did was set me back.". FL Park Royal is a hospital with specialized psychiatric capabilities. Hospitals shouldnt send away patients based on their insurance or ability to pay, says attorney Catherine Greaves, with King & Spalding in Austin, Texas. 33901, Phone: 844-200-0000 Webb: Well, can you tell me when you spoke to her? She was also prescribed an anti-depressant, and anti-psychotic and a relaxant drug. According to the Lee County Sheriffs Office, Brian Rudolph, 44, called staff at Park Royal Hospital and was harassing and threatening them over the phone. Two other civil cases involving Bland were resolved without trials last year. PARK ROYAL HOSPITAL But the lack of video was labeled as an inconsistency in the accuser's claims. Park Royal Hospital sexual abuse lawsuit settled - Naples Park Royal Hospital Newly filed depositions and court records, however, suggest Park Royal Hospital staff members made several missteps and might have lied to police and lawyers in the case of Bland, now 46, who pleaded guilty to sexual assault charges in April 2014 and received five years in prison. They are very kind, friendly, responsible, I love this firm. But there arent enough details available about the case to know exactly what the circumstances were or draw any conclusions about the hospitals actions, Greaves says. He also stated the hospital conducts a "full investigation" of abuse and neglect policies. The defendants presented experts in nursing and wound care. Counseling. Former patients of Park Royal Hospital, Lee Countys only inpatient psychiatric health center, have settled a lawsuit over a former employee accused of sexually abusing them. But, at some point that day, she said a 38-year-old male patient she did not know approached her in a common area and took her into his bathroom, where hehad sex with her. In those depositions, Raynor is accused of lying about his screening of Bland, and the hospital's internal investigator is accused of missing or lying about a key piece of video evidence. FL As one of the newest freestanding behavioral health facilities in the United States, Park Royal offers a full continuum of care from inpatient to intensive outpatient programs which includes an ECT Lab. If you believe your family members death was caused by the negligence of someone else, contact the Pendas Law Firm for a consultation about your case. Connect with this reporter: @FrankGluck (Twitter), Park Royal Hospital plans $1.8 million expansion, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Efforts to reach Raynor were unsuccessful. The settlement agreement resolves allegations that, based on OIG's investigation, Park Royal violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) when it failed to accept a transfer of a patient with an unstablilized emergency medical condition, from the emergency department of another hospital. But he said the woman was too impaired to give consent. Death resulting from hospital turning away patient. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. (239) 985-2700. entire article. A third patient, a recent valedictorian at a Collier County high school, said Bland entered her room and forced himself on her. "All I remember is him being on the second floor," Gordon testified, referencing the floor on which Bland worked. In November, a federal report criticized patient care at the 114-bed facility saying it was too short-staffed to properly supervise patients and often ignored patient complaints. Despite filling out a living will and hinting at suicide in the days preceding his death, the 51-year-old Massachusetts man was allowed to go unsupervised by his caseworker. In July 2013, three female patients at Park Royal Hospital, an inpatient, 103-bed psychiatric and substance abuse center, came forward with allegations against Bland. Families of wrongful death victims may be entitled to substantial compensation for the loss of their loved one if the death was caused by someone elses negligence. Another allegation about a false statement was levied against Raynor, the hospital's human relations director. More: Park Royal Hospital patient care deficiencies highlighted in federal inspection report, Patient sues Park Royal Hospital for alleged sex abuse, Park Royal Hospital sexual abuse lawsuit settled, Park Royal Hospital patient care deficiencies highlighted in federal inspection report, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. I can only say they are exceptional. He has written for the Daily News since 2011, covering topics ranging from police to politics to education. There was no reason for Park Royal not to accept the transfer, says OIG Senior Counsel Geeta Taylor. VA Funding *Call for information if your insurance isnt listed here Levels of Care Park Royal Hospital offers multiple levels of care such as: Detox Inpatient Intensive Outpatient Telehealth Substances & Mental Health Substances Alcohol Cocaine Heroin This newsletter or articles therein may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the publisher. An official website of the United States government. NBC2, Park Royal employee accused of sexual assault against patients, September 2013: A healthcare worker tasked with taking care of the mentally ill is now accused of inappropriate acts with his patients. At the time, she was a"vulnerable adult"under Florida law whom the hospital should have protected from such sexual contact, the lawsuit states. The woman stated that Bland entered her room on July 6, 2013, and forced himself on her. The News-Press 0:00 0:37 Mike Ham, the CEO of Park Royal Hospital in south Fort Myers, has stepped down after about 2 years in the post. ul.searchbrowse li a:hover {color:#676767; border-bottom: 1px dotted #676767}. "But we made decisions based on the best information we had available at the time.". Guarino, who was later fired, was never criminally charged, Webb said. Preferred Fort Myers Mental Health & Psychiatric Inpatient Hospital | Park Royal Hospital Admissions Insurance & Payment Information Campus Tour Our Programs Adult Inpatient U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Florida Hospital Settles Case Involving Patient Dumping Allegation, Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program Report, Special Fraud Alerts, Bulletins, and Other Guidance, Special Advisory Bulletin and Other Guidance. On his rsum and job application, Bland stated he worked as a home health aide for a Fort Myers client with bipolar disorder, listing the name of the client's daughter, Kalie Kirwan, as his supervisor. The jury signed a verdict, and judgment was entered in the amount of $5 million. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. FROM THE ARCHIVE: Park Royal Hospital plans $1.8 million expansion. The agency may impose an administrative fine, not to exceed $1,000 per violation, per day, for such violations, Coleman said. In addition, no DNA evidence could be recovered tying Bland to the allegations, and the hospital provided no video surveillance corroborating the claims. In court filings, the hospital's lawyers noted that the three patients who made the initial allegations "repeatedly changed the facts of their allegations as to the date and time of the alleged incidents." After his release from prison, which is set for May 2018, Bland will serve up to five years of probation and remain a registered sex offender. Surveillance video shows conflicting evidence. Webb, who is also the attorney for the plaintiff in that case, would not say if it is expected to also be settled out of court. Police investigators said Blands offenses included masturbating in front of a patient, sexual contact with patients and requests for sex. The woman told her boyfriend about the incident when he came to visit her hours later, according to her attorney Dennis Webb. The Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) & Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) uses the information you provide us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. "There were definitely some problems, some systemic problems, at that facility," Webb said. #searchlist {width:100%; border-bottom: 2px #e5e5e5 solid; margin: 3% 0 5% 0;} Following Bland's arrest, the hospital's CEO, Michael Evans, issued a statement saying "every employee at the hospital undergoes a comprehensive pre-employment screening and background check." But depositions and evidence discovered in the past two years reveal shortcomings on both fronts. Direct Line: 813-868-6981 PARK ROYAL HOSPITAL Although our firm is not providing legal representation to any of the parties in this case, our lawyers regularly represent the families of wrongful death victims and are familiar with cases where carelessness results in senseless deaths. EMTALA expressly requires hospitals with specialized capability to accept appropriate transfers, adds Katie Arnholt, deputy branch chief of the OIGs Administrative and Civil Remedies Branch. A lawsuit claiming that another former Park Royal employee, Anthony Guarino, abused a patient is still pending. Designated Baker Act receiving facilities may not deny treatment because they are uninsured or because of the private insurance they have, said AHCA spokeswoman Shelisha Coleman. Park Royal Hospital patient reports sex crime after finding Facsimile: 904-302-9623, 115 Hickory StreetSuite 204 ul.searchbrowse li {margin:0 0 5%; font-size:0.75em; /* 12/16 */ } Raynor's employment status with the hospital isn't known, though his LinkedIn page says he's retired. Another woman, identified as Mary Doe II, testified she couldn't trust anybody anymore. Seven out of nine defendants, including four doctors, were convicted Tuesday for their roles in a $40 million bribery and kickback scheme involving Forest Park Medical Center, It had the capability and capacity to accept the transfer, she says. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS On May 6, 2019, Park Royal Hospital (Park Royal), Fort Meyers, Florida, entered into a $52,414 settlement agreement with OIG. In Crisis, Part 3: 'Don't take me back!' - Houston Chronicle When Landers finally did check on the patient, he found the victim unresponsive. I believe this is done The hospital's attorney in Tampa, Kevin Richardson, said the hospital does not comment on pending litigation. Texas hospitals that received bailouts are suing poor patients for But an online check of the Lee County Sheriff's Office or Clerk's website easily accessible to the public would have turned up the battery arrest, which Raynor said would have been a contributing factor when deciding whether to hire Bland. FL $115,000 in litigation instead of $15k presuit offer. "Her insight and judgment were both deemed fair to poor," it notes. Facsimile: 813-982-3037, 140 South Beach StreetSuite 310 What's happening to turtle nests along Naples' beaches? HCCA was established in 1996 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. Death resulting from hospital turning away patient, Auto accident involving pedestrian. Park Park Royal Hospital Park Royal Hospital, Lee County's sole inpatient psychiatric hospital announced it will build a $1.8 million addition to its main campus in south Fort Myers. The facility settled 11 civil lawsuits over the incident and is currently facing another claim, alleging yet another staff member abused a patient. I had the honor to deal with attorney Daniel. Name of Hospital: Park Royal Hospital Location: Fort Myers, FL, USA Articles. 2023 www.news-press.com. Park Royal Hospital | Reviews | Better Business Bureau $550,000. Owned by parent company Acadia Healthcare, Park Royal Hospital is the largest mental health facility in southwest Florida, meant to fill a decades long gap of having no in-patient mental health facility in the region. Park Royal Hospital sexual abuse lawsuit settled - The Police investigators said Blands offenses included masturbating in front of a patient, sexual contact with patients andrequests for sex. The patient wound up receiving care at a different hospital. But during the lawsuit, video surfaced showing exactly that: Bland going into the woman's room for about 75 seconds on July 6. They made everything very easy for us, were outgoing & polite. Its the very purpose EMTALA was written. Its curious, though, from a purely financial perspective, to turn patients away when the hospital is out of network. The victim told a Lee County sheriff's deputy she had been heavily medicated since her arrival at the hospital on Dec. 26,causing her to sleep and leaving her in a "lucid state of mind.". The events alleged in the lawsuits took place before Ham came to the hospital. Was it in October, was it March? Although Bland was a licensed certified nursing assistant and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration approved Bland for hiring, the hospital's staff didn't perform several additional checks. I dont know anything else about him. Brianne Vanbuskirk. Copyright 2023 Health Care Compliance Association. Highly recommended professionals. Contact & Location. Mike Ham, CEO of Park Royal Hospital, did not respond to several requests this week to talk about the AHCA report. All I remember is him being on the second floor. The 103-bed Park Royal, which is owned by the Franklin, Tennessee-based Acadia Healthcare, admitted no wrong-doing, according to the plaintiffs attorney, Dennis Webb. The victims seemingly preventable death is just the latest in what appears to be a pattern in a lack of oversight at Park Royal Hospital. However, surveillance footage of the hospital shows that did not happen, according to the suit. One employee, Nickiesh Gordon, testified she was "positive" that Raynor never asked her about Bland before he was hired. They didn't know Bland lied on his rsum, falsely claiming he worked as a home health aide for 19 months. Alex Blanchard heard her 5-year-old sons piercing screams even before paramedics wheeled him into the hospital room. Park Royal Hospital sexual abuse lawsuit settled - Naples This case was filed in Collier County Courts, Not She claims that Guarino fondled her again in September of that year, after she had been brought in for involuntary mental health evaluation under Florida's Baker Act. A former patient of Park Royal Hospital, Lee Countys only inpatient psychiatric hospital, claims in a lawsuit that another patient sexually abused her while she was undergoing an involuntary mental health evaluation at the health center. Miami, telling the hospital's staff that he was gay and not interested in women, testified she was "positive" that Raynor never asked her, Naples on 'Great Places to Retire for Your Good Health' list, PHOTOS: Pre-med students gain firsthand experience as scribes, Some area physicians giving direct primary care a shot, Workside summit to teach businesses about healthier choices, In tough economic times, non-compete agreements are ending up in Collier courts, Southwest Florida is serious about fried chicken, and Cracklin' Jacks, they say, is seriously good, Demons Next Door: Coping with bad neighbors, Dr. Johnny's Car Clinic: What to do when your brakes pulse. "Certainly, retrospectively, looking back, could we have done things better? Already recommended them to others in the same circumstances, their staff speaks Spanish and you feel like in family., Very Professional law firm. All rights reserved. The case status is Disposed - Other Disposed. We're committed to your privacy. The hospital's attorney in Tampa, Kevin Richardson, said the hospital does not comment on pending litigation. Benjamin Bland's supervisors missed several red flags when they hired him to care for patients at Park Royal Hospital, a last stop for many of Southwest Florida's seriously mentally ill citizens. Name of Hospital: Park Royal Hospital Location: Fort Myers, FL, USA Articles. $345,000. Webb, who is also the attorney for the plaintiff in that case, would not say if it is expected to also be settled out of court. Facsimile: 786-558-1822, 4851 Tamiami Trail North Reed wasn't asked about the discrepancy during his deposition, and he declined to comment when reached by phone Thursday. 33401, Phone: 844-200-0000 FL Auto accident involving tractor trailer. Rubio hopes to rebound four months after loss. Follow this reporter on Twitter: @FrankGluck. Class Action Lawsuit List | Open & Current Cases | ClassAction.org Linda Kelley, LMHC. The guidance addresses capacity and transfers, among other things. Seven former adult patients, all identified as Jane Does to hide their identities, claimed that the abuse took place at the hospital between May and September 2013. The deputy collected the victim's sheets and the condom. Webb: If Mr. Raynor testified that he spoke to you and that you told him you had worked with Mr. The hospital requested a background screening of Bland from the state and a third-party human relations company. Our lawyers serve the Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, Fort Myers, Tampa, and Jacksonville areas. Bland is serving time at Liberty Correctional Institution in Bristol after pleading guilty in 2014 to two counts of sexual abuse of a disabled adult. State regulators say Park Royal Hospital wrongly denied treatment to three patients needing emergency psychiatric care becausethey held out-of-network health insurance.
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