This study of the Mississippi State Hospital focused on allegations of brutality toward patients by hospital employees. The PEER Committee determined that the hospital administration did not tolerate abuse of patients. Employees who abused any patient were terminated immediately. In 1974 the administration terminated four persons for patient abuse.
This report also focused on organizational and financial problems of the hospital. The hospital was not accredited, did not qualify for Medicare-Medicaid, and did not meet federal court requirements. The shortage of nurses at the hospital was critical. Management and facility inadequacies were numerous and were discussed in detail in the report.
The PEER Committee recommended the development of additional community mental health centers to help reduce the inpatient population at the hospital. This decrease would help to bring the Mississippi State Hospital up to nationally accepted minimum standards for patient care.
For a paper copy of this report, contact PEER by telephone at 601-359-1226 or by e-mail at reports@peer.ms.gov.