A 73-page class action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia accuses the Psychiatric Institute of Washington (PIW) and its parent company, Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS), of involuntarily detaining patients without medical justification, falsifying records, and withholding necessary treatment in pursuit of profit.
An individual only described as Jane Doe stands as the lead plaintiff. In court filings, Doe describes being involuntarily committed to PIW for four days in April 2024 after her estranged husband reported she was suicidal. Medical records noted a “current suicidal/homicidal ideation with intent, realistic plan, and/or available means,” though the lawsuit alleges no such ideation existed. PIW staff allegedly fabricated the assessment to justify her admission.
Doe’s attempts to seek legal counsel during her stay were unsuccessful. She said she was denied access to a phone, leaving her “stripped of her autonomy and unable to contest her confinement.” While at PIW, Doe alleged that she received no individualized therapy or meaningful treatment, the complaint asserts. Conditions in the facility included broken fixtures, cold temperatures, and limited access to food.
The lawsuit claims that UHS, through its management of PIW, directed policies aimed at increasing patient admissions and prolonging hospital stays to maximize insurance reimbursements. Patient records were allegedly altered to justify these extended stays. One section of the complaint states, “PIW routinely fabricates patient records, ensuring maximum financial gain through involuntary detentions and unnecessary hospitalizations.”
The complaint describes Doe’s experience as representative of a wider pattern, alleging that patients are admitted regardless of medical necessity and kept longer than needed.
“PIW and UHS have chosen profit over patient care, deliberately placing vulnerable individuals in harm’s way,” the lawsuit contends.
The suit cites violations of consumer protection laws and claims of false imprisonment and medical negligence. It seeks compensatory and punitive damages on behalf of Doe and other affected patients and calls for accountability for what it describes as “deliberate actions that have stripped countless individuals of their dignity and basic human rights.”
“No person should be forced into confinement without cause, denied basic rights, or exploited for corporate profit,” the suit contends.
One social media user who described himself as a healer, counselor, coach and hypnotherapist took to social media to weigh in on the announcement.
“This is very common with psychiatric facilities, as the focus is often on sustaining business and profits, not on true quality of care or respecting patients’ rights,” social media user Jed Shlackman wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Modern psychiatry currently fosters more harm to mental health than genuine healing aids.”
Enjoyed your article about PIW, as I worked there too long, about 3 months, I can assure you what has been reported is only the tip of the iceberg. Also, I see a number of class action lawsuits by patients yet I suspect there are a bunch of past staff who feel traumatized, abused and victimized by what is, essentially, a hostile workplace that condones violence against staff, theft and generalized incompetence–especially as PIW has so much difficulty keeping up with rapid staff turnover.
Appreciate you for publishing such an article and suggest you might want to expand your scope to Cedar Hill Hospital which may be starting off worse than what PIW has degenerated to.