FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2008
Statement by HHC President Alan D. Aviles in Response to Lawsuit Against Kings County Hospital
"We remain devastated by the tragic death of Esmin Green and are deeply sorry for the pain it has caused her family. I personally extended our deepest condolences to her family for their loss. We failed Esmin Green and believe her family deserves fair and just compensation. HHC referred this matter to criminal enforcement and regulatory authorities on June 20. We have been cooperating and will continue to support any and all investigations.
"We have already made significant changes to the Kings County Hospital Psychiatric Program and anticipate instituting additional reforms to prevent such an inexcusable incident from ever happening again."
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Recent changes to the psychiatric program include:
The appointment of a new interim administrator who will report directly to the HHC President.
Additional staff.
Expanded training for staff, including management of agitated patients.
Expanded space to address overcrowding.
Shorten patient wait time for treatment, release or placement to inpatient bed.
Patients will be checked every 15 minutes by trained clinical staff.
Timely documentation of patient care and assessment.
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Press Release
