Mental Health Commissioner's Presence Requested at Westwood Lodge Hearing

Less than a week after a cap was placed on the number of Westwood Lodge patients to be housed at a given time, Westwood officials have announced a public hearing next month to discuss the safety of the facility. 

And among those officials hope to see at the meeting is the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. 

In a letter dated last Tuesday, Feb. 14, Westwood Board of Selectmen Chair Pat Ahearn urgently requested the presence of DMH Commissioner Marcia Fowler to the meeting, which is set to take place on Monday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Thurston Middle School cafeteria annex. 

A number of other local and state officials, as well as representatives from Westwood Lodge, have also been invited to the hearing.

"We are seeking this meeting to bring to your attention the long, distressing history of security lapses at the hospital that have negatively impacted the safety and tranquility of the residents living in proximity to Westwood Lodge Hospital," Ahearn wrote in the letter. "These lapses have also created an inordinate drain on the resources of the public safety agencies of the Town of Westwood, surrounding communities, and the Commonwealth."

Evaluations on the security and safety of Westwood Lodge have been ongoing since early 2011, and have included discussions about potentially installing a security fence. But recent incidents involving escaped patients have brought concerns back to the limelight. 

The most recent incident took place in early February, when a 16-year-old male assaulted a nurse before escaping and fleeing the area; State Police later found the teen at South Station in Boston. Prior to that, a man escaped the facility while taking a recreational break outside, only to be found under the deck of a nearby resident about an hour later. 

"Unfortunately, the escapes of Jan. 21 and Feb. 8 are not isolated incidents, but merely the latest in a long history of violations and indignities the neighbors of WLH have had to suffer," wrote Ahearn, who added that the town formed a task force 20 years ago comprising local officials and residents to meet regularly with management of the hospital in order to discuss safety concerns.

"Despite the promises by the Lodge that security would improve, the most recent event demonstrates there have been insufficient improvements made to ensure the safety of our citizens," he wrote.

Last Friday, the DMH issued a measure to immediately cap the number of in-patients at Westwood Lodge at 75 (the facility comprises 89 patient beds). Both State Rep. Paul McMurtry (D-Dedham) and State Sen. Mike Rush (D-West Roxbury), who represent Westwood, commended the move. 

Evaluating Safety & A View From Within

The ongoing safety evaluations at Westwood Lodge have been overseen by the Westwood Police and Fire Departments, and have been conducted at the hospital by Liability Consultants, Inc., a consultant firm hired by Westwood Lodge. 

"There's both the physical security of the buildings," said Police Chief William Chase. "That's certianly something we're looking at. But I think that also, the staffing ratios and adequate staffing levels come into play."

The internal security of the building is something that concerns Roger Chopelas, a former senior manager at Westwood Lodge. 

"Some of the major issues with that hospital is with the way they train their employees," said Chopelas, who left the hospital as an employee in late 2011. "The problem that they have is that it's a very unsafe environment. It is disturbing, the lack of safety and security. It's so easy to walk out of there."

Ultimately, Chopelas said he simply wants to see the security improved so that the building is safe not only for patients and staff, but also area residents. 

"I would like to see more education and training to provide safety," Chopelas said. "That's my only goal."

Representatives from Westwood Lodge have been invited to the March 5 hearing, as have Rush and McMurtry. Attempts to contact Westwood Lodge CEO Greg Brownstein were made, but were not successful as of this writing.