National Experts Release Report on Rawson-Neal

Statement

Governor Brian Sandoval today released the following statement after reviewing the Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital report issued today by Drs. Joel Dvoskin and Kenneth Appelbaum:

"Nevada is committed to ensuring that vulnerable members of society are treated with dignity and care. As I have stated before, improperly discharging one patient is one patient too many. At my direction, the state brought in nationally recognized experts to evaluate how Nevada currently treats mentally ill individuals at Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital. We are committed to implementing the recommendations in this report, and I am confident doing so will help improve the services the State of Nevada provides to the mentally ill. As this process moves forward, I will continue to receive regular briefings on Rawson-Neal to ensure our state is providing the best care possible to those who need it most."

The nationally recognized doctors were contracted through the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors at the direction of Governor Sandoval to provide an independent review of Nevada's mental health facility Rawson-Neal, and to ensure that the facility is using best practices when it comes to patient care.

BACKGROUND:

Dr. Dvoskin and Dr. Appelbaum are nationally recognized for their work in their fields. Their report comes after the statewide discharge policies have been strengthened for patients transported out of state, a formalized chaperone policy has been instituted, and a full review of the roughly 1500 patients who were transported out of state since July 2008. Additionally, a number of state initiated investigations have taken place and individuals responsible for violating discharge policies have been disciplined, which included terminations. Governor Sandoval has toured Rawson-Neal to see the facility first hand, and has committed more than $16 million in additional funds for mental health services in Nevada.

Source