AUGUSTA — A state lawmaker is calling for a full review of Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta following a staff survey that showed fewer than half usually or always feel safe at work.
The survey, conducted by the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability, also showed that only 30% agree or strongly agree that they can report safety concerns to superiors without negative consequences.
Rep. Bill Bridgeo (D-Augusta) says he’s heard directly from Riverview workers about their concerns and believes a full investigation of the hospital is warranted.
“What I heard from them was disturbing and if only part of it is accurate than it certainly warrants legislative oversight,” Bridgeo said Friday after the survey was presented to the Government Oversight Committee.
Bridgeo says workers told him they are concerned about safety, staffing levels and an overreliance on temporary workers.
The state’s program evaluation office conducted the survey last fall, asking for the opinions of 130 Riverview workers and 118 staff at Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center in Bangor.
When asked if they feel safe at work, 49% of Riverview staffers said they usually or always feel safe, while at Dorothea Dix 60% said they usually or always feel safe.
When it comes to training, a combined total of 64% of workers at both hospitals say they have the training needed to do their jobs.
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees both hospitals, provided data to show that there were 70 reported staff injuries at Riverview last year, compared to 11 at Dorothea Dix.
“We heard that assaults can be unprompted and unpredictable with no warning signs,” said OPEGA staffer Kari Hojara during a presentation of the results to the oversight committee.
Workers also said that a small number of patients accounts for a large number of staff assaults, she said.
In response to the survey, hospital management said they provide ongoing support to staff following an injury. At Riverview, leadership indicated that they are concerned about a national workforce shortage of registered nurses and difficulties providing competitive wages and shift differentials.
The committee took no action on the survey results Friday, saying they wanted time to examine the documents and decide whether it might be appropriate to hold a future public hearing or call for further investigation.
For Bridgeo, the survey results and his meeting with staff provide a clear indication that more investigation is needed.
“We all want to make sure all of our patients in our psychiatric hospitals are in a safe environment as well as ensuring our staff, our state employees in these hospitals, are safe,” he said. “There’s a balance there of course. In the meeting I had with any number of staff, many of them had been employed for many years, it was clear to me this needs to be looked into.”
