Three patient deaths at Peoria State Hospital; a report to the Illinois General Assembly

              by the 77th General Assembly of Senate Bill 1530. The bill �which ISMS endorsed � is designed to upgrade standards by requiring permit physicians to pass an examination administered by the Department of R & E [Registration and Education] for renewal of their permits after July 1, 1973.
"Since the new law does not specify what type of examination permit physicians must pass, certain factions would defeat the intent of this law by requiring only a superficial exam.
"In the interest of the public, ISMS recommends that permit physicians be required to pass the FLEX [Federation Licensure Examination] examination � or a comparable test � to continue practicing in Illinois hospitals."
Security Force
The security force of Peoria State Hospital has a wide variety of duties and responsibilities. It has the obvious duty to maintain the security of the grounds against outsiders. It also operates an ambulance service for transferring patients between buildings, retrieves patients who have wandered off the grounds and helps subdue violent or ungovernable patients. It is supposed to cooperate with local police authorities in the investigation of crimes which involve the patients or the hospital premises. The security staff consists of nine men to cover three shifts, headed by Security Chief Harvey Toomis.
Witnesses told us that the security staff is not fully effective in securing the protection of the patients and the staff. Several security officers themselves confirmed that the security staff is not adequately performing its functions, for a variety of reasons. Foremost among these reasons is the matter of personnel. Chief Toomis testified at our public hearings that the personnel quota for his staff had been established at 12 to 17, but that he has had to operate with far less than that quota for many years. He said he has repeatedly asked the administration for additional personnel but without success. Another factor, less apparent, is the average age of the members of the security staff. Six of the nine members are over 60 years of age. Chief Toomis is 74.
It has been charged that these older men are not physically equipped to handle explosive patients and that they often call upon ward personnel to aid them in subduing patients who are "acting out" by behaving aggressively or violently. It should be mentioned that several of the mentally retarded patients at Peoria State are unusually strong. One, in particular, is approximately 6' 6" tall and weights 250 pounds and has been known to upturn pianos when he becomes upset.
Evidence was also presented at our public hearings concerning the complete lack of training among the security personnel to prepare them for the variety of duties they are called upon to perform. For example, although they operate an ambulance service, they receive no training in basic first aid. Similarly, they receive no training for handling violent or infirmed patients. Chief Toomis said that he himself "trains" his men on occasion, but all the staff members contended that they had received no training whatsoever. Chief Toomis admitted, moreover, that none of his
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