II: Different Meadow, Same Sheep Shit.

Jay Pottenger
Current CEO
Montana State Hospital

   "Survey faults care for older patients at Montana State Hospital; state says issues fixed." 

   TJ McDermott. Montana Standard. February 12, 2019.

The following text is PJ Reed The Arizona State Hospital/Montana State Hospital. Montana's Forgotten Suicides' formal commentary to various Montana press that have covered the above scandal:

"Well, you don't say! Yet another issue 100% consistent for just how and why Montana State Hospital was subjected to federal oversight and sanction in early 2017. Where in all this, then, is attorney Craig Fitch, the so-called longstanding "Patient's Lawyer," who functions on-site five full days a week? And/or the facility's current Chief Executive Officer, Jay Pottenger, who in direct relation to the 2016-17 federal inspection process, exhibited gross ignorance about his given responsibilities, as per his very title? Why should we, the public and the patient community at Montana State Hospital need to rely on outside resources- such as in this case, Montana Disability Rights- to identify the issues at stake when Fitch and company are there on the front line of it all, supposedly in order to preserve/optimize the rights and care needs of the patient-consumers hospitalized there? It is the citizen based taxpayers who pay these people's salary, and as such, suffer the direct impacts of such ineptitude. Unacceptable to the nth degree."

Indeed, it was in fall 2016 that PJ Reed notified two elected state representatives about the fact that Montana State Hospital, "MSH",  was being operated in violation of the federal standards by which it is licensed. Compelled at that time by a staff technician only 20 years old who expressed grave concern about endemic staff shortages, who stated at the time, "I don't even think this is legal...!"

Which, of course, is an accurate dynamic specific to the substandard conditions in Montana's sole long term public mental health care facility. And which did, in January, 2017, lead to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services serving a formal Notice of Jeopardy in relation to the Hospital's license to operate. 

All of this, on point, too, with issues that are still effecting the quality of care in Arizona State Hospital, as per a lawsuit filed on behalf of a patient who, due to a lack of sufficient staff, nearly died in 2016 when attacked by another patient who was supposed to be closely monitored on a 24/7 basis. 

While, in fact, MSH is also currently subject to several law suits filed on the basis of outright negligence and administrative incompetence. 

Go figure. Could not make it up if I had to. 

paoloreed@gmail.com