As NY pushes mental health plan, 13 hospitals use restraints above average. See which ones

• Mental health patients in New York spent a total of nearly 11,900 hours in restraints and 9,000 hours in seclusion while in psychiatric units in 2021, the latest federal data show
• But the true scope of restraint use −and misuse −at hospitals remains shrouded in secrecy because the techniques are only tracked for psychiatric units under state and federal laws

As Gov. Kathy Hochul pushes a $1 billion plan to overhaul New York’s mental health care system, psychiatric patients at 13 hospitals statewide are being placed in restraints at rates above the national average.

Overall, mental health patients in New York spent a total of nearly 11,900 hours in restraints and 9,000 hours in seclusion while in psychiatric units in 2021, the latest federal data show.

But the true scope of restraint use −and misuse − at hospitals remains shrouded in secrecy because the techniques are only tracked for psychiatric units under state and federal laws.

In other words: Thousands of patients are restrained in emergency rooms and other hospital wards across New York with limited independent oversight, an investigation by the USA TODAY Network in 2022 found.

The gaps in transparency and accountability surrounding restraints and seclusion have taken on heightened importance because Hochul’s plan includes the addition of 1,000 psychiatric inpatient beds.

Hochul last week touted the mental health reforms as “the most significant change since the deinstitutionalization of the 1970s” − alluding to the national trend that shuttered many psychiatric hospitals amid concerns about patient abuse and mistreatment.

Read the investigation:Thousands restrained in hospital ERs and wards with limited oversight

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How restraints are misused in NY hospitals?

At least 50 hospital patients were improperly restrained in New York between 2015 and 2018, spanning men and women handcuffed, hit with batons, drugged and left strapped to beds up to 12 hours without regular check-ups and water, USA TODAY Network reported.

The restraint violations included hospital security officers who injured patients while handcuffing them to wheelchairs and beds. Some officers also sprayed patients’ eyes with pepper gel and used pressure-point holds more typical of police tactics on the street, records show. 

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How is restraint use reported by hospitals?

The only mandatory reporting of restraint use in hospital settings consists of cases connected to deaths, or cases in psychiatric units. But reporting for those cases also lack key details needed to determine how many patients get restrained, experts said.

Still, the psychiatric unit data offers some hints about hospitals that use restraints and seclusion more frequently than industry standards.

How have NY hospitals used restraints in psych units?

What follows are regional facility-level reports for psychiatric unit use of restraints and seclusion, citing federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data.

The statistics include the overall number of hours in restraints and seclusion as well as the rate, which is based on hours spent subjected to the techniques for every 1,000 hours of patient care.

For restraints, the national average rate is 0.39 and the New York average is 0.21.

For seclusion, the national average rate is 0.36 and the New York average is 0.16.

The list includes all facilities in New York that exceeded national average restraint rates, as well as hospitals within USA TODAY Network coverage that reported using the techniques.

Finger Lakes

Rochester General Hospital: Restraint: 101 (0.52); Seclusion: 84 (0.43)

Rochester Psychiatric Center: 727 (0.52); 17 (0.01)

Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester: 639 (0.99); 1,826 (2.84)

Mohawk Valley

Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center: Restraint: 29 (0.17); Seclusion : 5 (0.03)

St. Elizabeth Medical Center: Restraint: 3 (0.03)

Southern Tier

Elmira Psych Center: Restraint: 9 (0.02)

Greater Binghamton Health Center: 18 (0.03); 15 (0.03)

United Health Services in Binghamton: 147 (0.35); 25 (0.06)

Hudson Valley

Four Winds Hospital in Katonah: Restraint: 94 (0.07); Seclusion: 735 (0.56)

Garnet Health Medical Center in Harris: Restraint: 10 (0.08)

Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center in New Hampton: 249 hours (0.13); 6 (0)

Rockland Psychiatric Center in Orangeburg, 252 (0.09); 251 (0.09)

Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla: 435 (0.36); 59 (0.05)

Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco: 1 (0.01); 83 (0.08)

Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis: Restraint: 23 (0.17)

Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown: 80 (0.39); 20 (0.1)

Nyack Hospital: 0; 33 (0.19)

St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers: Restraint: 144 (0.12)

Capital Region/North Country

Samaritan Hospital of Troy: Restraint: 80 (0.51); Seclusion: 18 (0.12)

Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg: 131 (0.69); 15 (0.08)

New York City/Long Island

Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan: Restraint: 1,362 (0.74); Seclusion: 644 (0.35)

Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens: Restraint: 561 (0.88)

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Queens: Restraint: 136 (0.44)

Metropolitan Hospital Center in Manhattan: Restraint: 494 (2.27)

NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island: Restraint: 122 (3.96)

Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric Center in Dix Hills: Restraint: 130 (0.41)

St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx: 436 (1.14); 419 (1.09)

Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center in Brooklyn: 310 (0.51); 23 (0.04)