The Pembroke Hospital in Pembroke, Mass., has armed some of its staff with walkie-talkies to call for help in a violent situation, according to an article on the Pembroke Mariner & Express website.
Last fall, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration told the for-profit psychiatric hospital to equip its staff with panic buttons and improve staffing levels.
OSHA inspectors found that the only way for staff at the 120-bed facility to call for help in a dangerous situation was to use the hospital intercom.
Surprise inspections of Pembroke and three other psychiatric treatment facilities owned by Arbour Health System found serious patient-care violations and prompted the state to assign an on-site monitor to oversee changes.
A summary of the violations found at the four sites included inoperable bathrooms and dirty and cluttered rooms that blocked access to emergency medical equipment.
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