Suicides Shut VA Psychiatric Ward

Officials Act After Fourth Suicide Of Year Hits Dallas VA Hospital

(CBS/AP)  A fourth suicide among mentally ill patients treated at the Dallas VA Medical Center this year has led the hospital to close its psychiatric ward, and investigators from the national Veterans Affairs office are expected to arrive next week to assess safety.

This comes on the heels of an exclusive CBS News investigation that revealed 1,758 VA patients killed themselves in 2005. That number rose from 1,403 VA patient suicides in 2001.

Joseph Dalpiaz, director of the VA North Texas Health Care System, ordered the shutdown after a 44-year-old man hanged himself April 4. The hospital stopped admitting patients to its 51-bed psychiatric unit the next day.

Dalpiaz "decided he wanted to ... give us some time to assess the environment of care and make sure things were as safe as possible in our patient unit," said Dr. Catherine Orsak, head of mental health for the VA's North Texas health system.

Three other suicides have also raised alarm. In January, two men who met in the hospital's psychiatric ward committed suicide days after being released.

On Feb. 5, a 55-year-old mental health patient also took his own life while staying in the same unit. The Associated Press reported the veteran who committed suicide on this day hanged himself on a frame attached to his wheelchair.

In a statement to CBS News, VA spokesperson Phil Budahn said the “VA remains committed to ensuring its patients receive top quality care.” Any veterans who need "inpatient mental health care will be referred to VA facilities in Waco and Temple [or] non VA facilities in the Dallas Fort Worth area.”

Last November, CBS News broke the story of the staggering number of veterans who commit suicide. The report was the result of a five-month investigation into veteran suicides.

The results were startling: according to data from 45 states, 6,256 men and women who had served in the armed forces took their own lives in 2005 - that's 120 suicides every week. Chief Investigative Correspondent Armen Keteyian and his investigative team found that veterans were more than twice as likely to commit suicide that year than non-veterans.

---

Read the original investigation: Suicide Epidemic Among Veterans
Follow up: VA Struggles With Vets' Mental Health.
How we got the numbers behind the story.
VA Doctor on Veteran Suicides.
Congress Looks at Veteran Suicides.
Read our viewers' feedback after the investigation.

---

The safety of the Dallas psychiatric ward is to be assessed by investigators visiting from the national VA offices, The Dallas Morning News reported in its Tuesday editions. Doctors sent patient records and other documents to Washington last week for review.

Orsak said the hospital has spent more than $250,000 the past six months to eliminate suicide risks. Door knobs were replaced, showers curtains and plumbing were retrofitted, and light fixtures were modified to remove rigid outcroppings veterans might use in hanging themselves.

While new patients are not being admitted to the hospital's psychiatric unit, 10 veterans are still being treated there. Orsak said the hospital has increased staffing and checks to ensure their safety.

Shirley Bemps, who said her husband committed suicide in the psychiatric ward in February, said she blames doctors for her husband's death.

"If he was a high-risk patient like they said, he should have been watched and monitored," Bemps said. "They haven't called me to offer condolences. They won't even respond to me. I just feel cheated."

Orsak said she did not know when the psychiatric unit would reopen to new patients. In the meantime, she said mentally ill veterans would be treated at VA hospitals in Waco and Temple and nearby private treatment centers.

---

Additional reporting by Pia Malbran.

[seabeesc]

second part of the double posting.

Myself, I have not given up the fight against the VA which for many has become a sick joke. The VA has insulted and ignored the Veterans of the First Gulf War. Now they have a whole new Veteran population where many are again being ignored when asking for help as was seen on the evening news today.

Now you tell me why these people who have answered their nation''s call would want to commit suicide?

I am waiting for a answer.

[seabeesc]

This is a double posting.

Everyone, just step back and maybe look at things from the veteran''s point of view. To them life was no longer worth living. What could cause that? I am a First Gulf War veteran who also suffers from a illness the DOD and VA says does not exist. I have been diagnosed with polyneuropathy. Basically the nerves in my body are dying. I live with pain severe enough that the VA gives me morphine and oxycodone in a attempt to try and control this symptom. I have dizziness spells that cause me not to even be able to stand up on my own. They tell me I have severe short and long term memory loss. The list of symptoms go on and on.

Now the VA freely admits and tries to treat all of these symptoms that started shortly after my return from the First Gulf War and they used to say I had Gulf War Syndrome. But then the people I have to look to for medical care says my condition doesn%u2019t exist? I have lost my family and home because I was no longer able to work and support them. A lot of the people that were in my unit suffer the same symptom that I do. If I remember right, there has been at least 9 who have given up their lives mainly due to depression caused by a lack of help or understanding.

[lazy1948]

Psychiatrist apparently are not helping the vets! Big pay check just to MONITOR that no one commits suicide. They need help readjusting to life here in the country of the FREE. The traumatization needs more than just MONITORING. They need to restructure the CARE.

[carolcape]

I have never heard of so many suicides anywhere, this is unreal. What in the heck is happening there. Wake up and smell the coffee, this has to be inside carelessness in the care of the Vets. Is there something going on in one particular unit, there should be a major investigation into this. Why would so many and so consecutively commit suicide?Is there someone there who is responsible for this, it sure sounds suspicious. Sending my thoughts to those who have to live with the pain of someone taking their own life. And to the weirdo that said, go ahead let them kill themselves if they want, what a sad human being. Hoping things will turn around at this hospital and all the people who fought for freedom, will get better and move on. And I hope that the people in Washington do something for these men. Just a thoughtful Canadian thinking about those Canadians and Americans who fight for their country.

[plainjean]

If George W. Bush was my commander-and-chief I would commit suicide too!

[blackyowe]

Its so sad. I really feel for the families.

[swwils]

I have been going to the VA for 10 years and they do me great.I have a good General Doctor,and a great psychiatrist.I have no problems at all.I go to modern war classes,and open therapy,plus a regiment of medication.I never feel like doing myself harm,usually others.I am too scared too harm myself.I have known many that decided to do themselves in,some accomplished their goals others found peace within themselves and abandoned their bad thoughts,life goes on.

[swwils]

I don''t understand why closing the ward will help anyone.Seems to me this will hurt many patients that need help.If someone decides they are done and are going to commit suicide it is no bodies fault but that individual who chooses to go out that way.That Hospital is not at fault ,and I am sure their are many patients that need them to remain open.I have experienced 4 suicides in my grown up life,3 as a juvenile in my town.I have realized once they make up their mind they do it when it is easy for them to accomplish this.

[gce65]

A psych ward at a VA hospital in Texas. Those 3 components are bad enough.

But the story only stated the suicide rate up to 2005. Do they not know what it was for 2006? Or 2007? Or do they just not release anything negative and alarming?

My bet is that it''s gone up steadily since 2001. And it will continue to climb now that so many military and their families have been stretched to the breaking point by the Bush administration.

[lowell43]

The suicides are a serious issue and my heart goes out to the veterans''s families.

The VA Hospitals in general are simply understaffed and underfunded. I have been going to the VA Hosp in Salem VA for my health care needs and they treat at least 24,000 veterans monthly at the local facility.

The personnel there overall are dedicated in helping the veterans of all ages.

Federal Bureaucy is the serious issue for all VA Facilities to put it mildly. The federal budget simply has to provide more monies to the VA Hospital system so that veterans can recieve adequate medical care.

It all starts at the White House.