Difference between revisions of "Haverford State Hospital"
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{{infobox institution | {{infobox institution | ||
| name = Haverford State Hospital | | name = Haverford State Hospital | ||
| − | | image = | + | | image = haverford.jpg |
| image_size = 250px | | image_size = 250px | ||
| alt = | | alt = | ||
| Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
| location = | | location = | ||
| architecture_style = | | architecture_style = | ||
| − | | peak_patient_population = 562 in August 1987 | + | | peak_patient_population = 562 in August of 1987 |
| alternate_names =<br> | | alternate_names =<br> | ||
}} | }} | ||
| − | '''The Haverford State Hospital''' was an state psychiatric facility outside of Philadelphia, whihc had a brief tenure between 1964 and 1998. Its construction was intended to allieviate neighboring [[ | + | '''The Haverford State Hospital''' was an state psychiatric facility outside of Philadelphia, whihc had a brief tenure between 1964 and 1998. Its construction was intended to allieviate neighboring [[Norristown State Hospital]] and [[Philadlephia State Hospital]], both of which were almost a century old at its construction. However, it construction was at the final period of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's financial support of inpatient mental health centers. When it opened it boasted modern clinical psychiatric care, which stood in startling contrast to its neighboring state hospitals. Its closure three decades later was due in part to a lawsuit from the 'Americans With Disabilities Act', as well as the growth of deinstitutionalization of state hospitals. When it closed most of its clinical population were then transferred to Norristown. The property of the former hospital have been reclaimed by the local community. |
==History== | ==History== | ||
[[image:Haverford 01.jpg|300px|left]] | [[image:Haverford 01.jpg|300px|left]] | ||
| − | + | In 1962 there were 526,000 people in state and county mental hospitals, according to the Center for Mental Health Services of the U.S. Public Health Service. When the Haverford State mental hospital was built in the early 1960s, it was designed to be a model of luxury care. Haverford State was known as the "Haverford Hilton" when it was built, boasting bowling alleys and private rooms. But over the next decade the hospital became over-crowded, and conditions declined. Patients slept in hallways or dayrooms, and were subjected to restraints, heavy sedation and disciplinary shock treatments. | |
| − | In 1986, a rash of escapees brought the hospital into the media spotlight. About | + | === Reports of Abuse === |
| + | |||
| + | In 1986, a rash of escapees brought the hospital into the media spotlight. About eighty patients had found a way to escape by June of 1986, including some of whom were potentially dangerous. The public haf romally been shaken when 25-year-old mental patient, Raymond Tillger, walked off the hospital grounds and disappeared into the community on June 6th. Shortly thereafter his girlfriend was found dead by his hands. However, following a lengthy trial, Tillger was found not guilty for the slaying of his girlfriend in 1979, by 'reason of insanity'. He was arrested eight days after his escape at the 'La Casa Pasta restaurant' in New Castle, PA. "It is not an understatement to say that Haverford State Hospital presents a time bomb waiting to explode," wrote State Rep. Stephen Freind, after the incident. "It is only a matter of either divine providence or complete luck that thus far one of the walkaways has not seriously harmed or killed one of my constituents residing in the area or, for that matter, in any other area." Freind was appalled that as a minimum security institution, Haverford State was housing potentially dangerous patients, and began pushing the state for stronger security measures. It was a case of negligence on the part of the hospital staff, he said. "When I have frequently complained to the Director of the Hospital, Dr. Fong, he has used his standard procedure, namely waving his hands in the air and pleading helplessness," wrote Freind, calling on the attorney general to launch a grand jury investigation. | ||
A year later, the dangerously overcrowded conditions at Haverford State again came under serious fire. In 1987 the hospital was operating at 141 percent of capacity, according to an Associated Press story, with 123 patients packed into wards designed to hold only 87. State officials and hospital administrators fought over whether to transfer patients to other hospitals or to increase funding in order to open two unused wards at Haverford State. Local officials were outraged when the state proposed to transfer long-term patients to other facilities and stop bringing new acutely ill patients to the facilities. "It's very sick people leaving Delaware County, going away from their families, away from their friends," Sandra Cornelius, Director of the Delaware County Department of Human Resources, told the Associated Press in June 1987. In July of 1987 state officials negotiated to open 34 additional beds in the hospital to relieve some of the worst overcrowding, according to a press release from Friend's office. But the hospital management did not escape hot water for long. In July, 1988 a heat wave caused temperatures in some of the non-air conditioned hospital buildings to soar to as high as 115 degrees, according to Freind and state Rep. Mary Ann Arty. The lawmakers told the head of the state welfare department that air conditioners installed in the hospital lobbies were a temporary fix, but demanded central air for the buildings. | A year later, the dangerously overcrowded conditions at Haverford State again came under serious fire. In 1987 the hospital was operating at 141 percent of capacity, according to an Associated Press story, with 123 patients packed into wards designed to hold only 87. State officials and hospital administrators fought over whether to transfer patients to other hospitals or to increase funding in order to open two unused wards at Haverford State. Local officials were outraged when the state proposed to transfer long-term patients to other facilities and stop bringing new acutely ill patients to the facilities. "It's very sick people leaving Delaware County, going away from their families, away from their friends," Sandra Cornelius, Director of the Delaware County Department of Human Resources, told the Associated Press in June 1987. In July of 1987 state officials negotiated to open 34 additional beds in the hospital to relieve some of the worst overcrowding, according to a press release from Friend's office. But the hospital management did not escape hot water for long. In July, 1988 a heat wave caused temperatures in some of the non-air conditioned hospital buildings to soar to as high as 115 degrees, according to Freind and state Rep. Mary Ann Arty. The lawmakers told the head of the state welfare department that air conditioners installed in the hospital lobbies were a temporary fix, but demanded central air for the buildings. | ||
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Conditions began to improve, and by the 1990's the hospital had transformed itself, according to Silberner's report. Patients were involved in education and recreation with a focus on self-help, she said. But American public sentiment was turning against the idea of mental institutions. In June of 1990, the Philadelphia State Hospital closed, making way for a new method of decentralized mental health services, according to the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Just 70,000 patients remained in state and county mental hospitals by 1996. Lawyers successfully argued that under the new Americans With Disabilities Act, mentally ill people should be kept in the least restricted setting as possible, said Silberner. The decision put the final nail in Haverford State's coffin. When the closing was announced by the state in 1997, there were 262 patients in residence. By June 3, 1998, 54 of those had been placed in care in the community, and 172 had been transferred to the Norristown State Hospital. The buildings were locked and the land was sold to Haverford Township. Since then, the township has struggled for almost a decade to decide what to do with the property. | Conditions began to improve, and by the 1990's the hospital had transformed itself, according to Silberner's report. Patients were involved in education and recreation with a focus on self-help, she said. But American public sentiment was turning against the idea of mental institutions. In June of 1990, the Philadelphia State Hospital closed, making way for a new method of decentralized mental health services, according to the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Just 70,000 patients remained in state and county mental hospitals by 1996. Lawyers successfully argued that under the new Americans With Disabilities Act, mentally ill people should be kept in the least restricted setting as possible, said Silberner. The decision put the final nail in Haverford State's coffin. When the closing was announced by the state in 1997, there were 262 patients in residence. By June 3, 1998, 54 of those had been placed in care in the community, and 172 had been transferred to the Norristown State Hospital. The buildings were locked and the land was sold to Haverford Township. Since then, the township has struggled for almost a decade to decide what to do with the property. | ||
| − | On November 14, 2006, the Haverford Township Board of Commissioners approved the | + | === Sale of Hospital Property === |
| + | |||
| + | On November 14, 2006, the Haverford Township Board of Commissioners approved the agreement for the sale and preliminary land development plans. The Haverford Reserve development will include one hundred carriage homes and 198 condominiums, plus the Township of Haverford will ultimately have several athletic fields and over 120-acres for recreation. On April 5th 2007, the Pennsylvania Attorney General filed an indictment against 5th ward commissioner Fred C. Moran, in conjunction with the sale of the state Hospital property. This scandal involved Fred Moran disclosing the bids of other potential developers, that were supposed be confidential, to one contractor in particular. He is currently awaiting trial. | ||
| − | After sitting vacant | + | After sitting vacant several years, the buildings of Haverford State Hospital had become delipidated and damaged beyond repair. The buildings of the complex were reduced to a shell of what they once were. The first buildings to come down were the administration and recreation buildings, followed by the extended treatment and geriatric wards. The final two buildings to be demolished were the boiler plant, and the five story hilltop building, which finally fell on January 17th, 2008. |
== Adjacent Psychiatric Facilities == | == Adjacent Psychiatric Facilities == | ||
| − | [[Norristown State Hospital]] | + | *[[Norristown State Hospital]] |
| − | [[Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital]] | + | *[[Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital]] |
| − | [[Brooke Glen Hospital]] | + | *[[Brooke Glen Hospital]] |
| − | [[MCES]] | + | *[[MCES]] |
| − | [[Philaelphia State Hospital]] | + | *[[Philaelphia State Hospital]] |
| − | [[Horsham Clinic]] | + | *[[Horsham Clinic]] |
| − | [[Episcopal Hospital]] | + | *[[Episcopal Hospital]] |
== Images of Haverford State Hospital == | == Images of Haverford State Hospital == | ||
Revision as of 21:47, 9 January 2013
| Haverford State Hospital | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | June 13, 1961 |
| Construction Began | 1964 |
| Closed | 1998 |
| Current Status | Demolished |
| Building Style | Cottage Plan |
| Peak Patient Population | 562 in August of 1987 |
| Alternate Names | |
The Haverford State Hospital was an state psychiatric facility outside of Philadelphia, whihc had a brief tenure between 1964 and 1998. Its construction was intended to allieviate neighboring Norristown State Hospital and Philadlephia State Hospital, both of which were almost a century old at its construction. However, it construction was at the final period of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's financial support of inpatient mental health centers. When it opened it boasted modern clinical psychiatric care, which stood in startling contrast to its neighboring state hospitals. Its closure three decades later was due in part to a lawsuit from the 'Americans With Disabilities Act', as well as the growth of deinstitutionalization of state hospitals. When it closed most of its clinical population were then transferred to Norristown. The property of the former hospital have been reclaimed by the local community.
Contents
History
In 1962 there were 526,000 people in state and county mental hospitals, according to the Center for Mental Health Services of the U.S. Public Health Service. When the Haverford State mental hospital was built in the early 1960s, it was designed to be a model of luxury care. Haverford State was known as the "Haverford Hilton" when it was built, boasting bowling alleys and private rooms. But over the next decade the hospital became over-crowded, and conditions declined. Patients slept in hallways or dayrooms, and were subjected to restraints, heavy sedation and disciplinary shock treatments.
Reports of Abuse
In 1986, a rash of escapees brought the hospital into the media spotlight. About eighty patients had found a way to escape by June of 1986, including some of whom were potentially dangerous. The public haf romally been shaken when 25-year-old mental patient, Raymond Tillger, walked off the hospital grounds and disappeared into the community on June 6th. Shortly thereafter his girlfriend was found dead by his hands. However, following a lengthy trial, Tillger was found not guilty for the slaying of his girlfriend in 1979, by 'reason of insanity'. He was arrested eight days after his escape at the 'La Casa Pasta restaurant' in New Castle, PA. "It is not an understatement to say that Haverford State Hospital presents a time bomb waiting to explode," wrote State Rep. Stephen Freind, after the incident. "It is only a matter of either divine providence or complete luck that thus far one of the walkaways has not seriously harmed or killed one of my constituents residing in the area or, for that matter, in any other area." Freind was appalled that as a minimum security institution, Haverford State was housing potentially dangerous patients, and began pushing the state for stronger security measures. It was a case of negligence on the part of the hospital staff, he said. "When I have frequently complained to the Director of the Hospital, Dr. Fong, he has used his standard procedure, namely waving his hands in the air and pleading helplessness," wrote Freind, calling on the attorney general to launch a grand jury investigation.
A year later, the dangerously overcrowded conditions at Haverford State again came under serious fire. In 1987 the hospital was operating at 141 percent of capacity, according to an Associated Press story, with 123 patients packed into wards designed to hold only 87. State officials and hospital administrators fought over whether to transfer patients to other hospitals or to increase funding in order to open two unused wards at Haverford State. Local officials were outraged when the state proposed to transfer long-term patients to other facilities and stop bringing new acutely ill patients to the facilities. "It's very sick people leaving Delaware County, going away from their families, away from their friends," Sandra Cornelius, Director of the Delaware County Department of Human Resources, told the Associated Press in June 1987. In July of 1987 state officials negotiated to open 34 additional beds in the hospital to relieve some of the worst overcrowding, according to a press release from Friend's office. But the hospital management did not escape hot water for long. In July, 1988 a heat wave caused temperatures in some of the non-air conditioned hospital buildings to soar to as high as 115 degrees, according to Freind and state Rep. Mary Ann Arty. The lawmakers told the head of the state welfare department that air conditioners installed in the hospital lobbies were a temporary fix, but demanded central air for the buildings.
Despite efforts to control the overcrowding and to improve conditions, they continued to worsen. The hospital failed a Medicare inspection in July of 1987 because of nursing shortages. It passed a second inspection in November 1987 by moving the Medicare patients to well-staffed wards, while neglecting the others, testified former Haverford State Hospital Superintendent Dr. John Fong at his trial in 1989. The hospital housed a whooping 562 patients in August of 1987. To make matters worse, Fong was arrested shortly after retiring from his position as Superintendent in November of 1988. On Feb. 3, 1989, he was found guilty of tampering with public records in order to falsify an injury report. "Witnesses at Dr. John Fong's trial presented a picture of deteriorating conditions at Haverford State Hospital, in which employees feared Fong and blindly followed his orders, while coping with patient overcrowding and staff shortages," wrote NEWS of Delaware County Staff Writer David Bjorkgren.
Conditions began to improve, and by the 1990's the hospital had transformed itself, according to Silberner's report. Patients were involved in education and recreation with a focus on self-help, she said. But American public sentiment was turning against the idea of mental institutions. In June of 1990, the Philadelphia State Hospital closed, making way for a new method of decentralized mental health services, according to the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Just 70,000 patients remained in state and county mental hospitals by 1996. Lawyers successfully argued that under the new Americans With Disabilities Act, mentally ill people should be kept in the least restricted setting as possible, said Silberner. The decision put the final nail in Haverford State's coffin. When the closing was announced by the state in 1997, there were 262 patients in residence. By June 3, 1998, 54 of those had been placed in care in the community, and 172 had been transferred to the Norristown State Hospital. The buildings were locked and the land was sold to Haverford Township. Since then, the township has struggled for almost a decade to decide what to do with the property.
Sale of Hospital Property
On November 14, 2006, the Haverford Township Board of Commissioners approved the agreement for the sale and preliminary land development plans. The Haverford Reserve development will include one hundred carriage homes and 198 condominiums, plus the Township of Haverford will ultimately have several athletic fields and over 120-acres for recreation. On April 5th 2007, the Pennsylvania Attorney General filed an indictment against 5th ward commissioner Fred C. Moran, in conjunction with the sale of the state Hospital property. This scandal involved Fred Moran disclosing the bids of other potential developers, that were supposed be confidential, to one contractor in particular. He is currently awaiting trial.
After sitting vacant several years, the buildings of Haverford State Hospital had become delipidated and damaged beyond repair. The buildings of the complex were reduced to a shell of what they once were. The first buildings to come down were the administration and recreation buildings, followed by the extended treatment and geriatric wards. The final two buildings to be demolished were the boiler plant, and the five story hilltop building, which finally fell on January 17th, 2008.
Adjacent Psychiatric Facilities
- Norristown State Hospital
- Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital
- Brooke Glen Hospital
- MCES
- Philaelphia State Hospital
- Horsham Clinic
- Episcopal Hospital
Images of Haverford State Hospital
Main Image Gallery: Haverford State Hospital
