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Judge inspects
State Hospital
A court monitor leads
a tour emphasizing
facility improvements
U.S. District Court Judge David Ezra is scheduled to consider a recommendation today to remove the State Hospital in Kaneohe from federal court oversight.
Yesterday, he toured the facility.
Kris McLoughlin, the court-appointed special monitor in the case, led the tour to show Ezra what she called "some of the significant improvements that have occurred related to the litigation."
The U.S. Department of Justice sued the state in 1991 because of overcrowded, unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the hospital.
McLoughlin said she showed Ezra physical improvements to the facility and talked to him about the programming and treatment planning that are available for patients.
She also showed him that the hospital has adequate and appropriate staffing.
She said the biggest improvement is in the type of care that patients now get at the hospital.
"Even if you take good care of them but don't move forward, it's custodial care. Active treatment is saying, 'OK, you have these problems, let's work as a team with you to figure out how to make improvements.' So that's been the biggest difference, that move to active treatment."
The hospital has several buildings that are part of its Rehabilitation Mall, where patients go for vocational training, skills and recreational therapy.
Ezra watched patients prepare Spam musubi in a cooking class, glaze ceramics in an arts-and-crafts class and play badminton in the gymnasium.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang, the court-ordered special master assigned to oversee improvements at the facility, is recommending Ezra dismiss the portion of the lawsuit relating to the State Hospital. He is also recommending continued federal court oversight of the state's community mental health services system.
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