AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) A report says a Maine psychiatric hospital has made improvements in the past year and has addressed patient care problems that led to its decertification in 2013.
A special court master filed the report on Riverview Psychiatric Center on Wednesday. He said for the first time in more than 20 years, the Augusta hospital has a full staff of permanent psychiatrists and psychiatric providers, as well as medical care providers for inpatient and outpatient services.
Riverview was recertified in February. It had been decertified for overcrowding, inadequate staffing and the use of stun guns and restraints to subdue patients.
The report notes, however, that a lack of capacity for community-based programs is affecting Riverview because it’s often difficult to place patients into programs when they are ready to be discharged.
