Why has St Luke’s Behavioral Health Center been shut down? Slew of issues forced ASC to take decision
Phoenix, Arizona: The Arizona Supreme Court has ordered St Luke’s Behavioral Health Center to suspend operations at its Phoenix facility. The decision comes amid growing concerns over the air conditioning system and overall maintenance at the psychiatric hospital located near 16th Street and Van Buren.
The Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) has not only ordered the suspension of operations but is also seeking to revoke the hospital’s license entirely. In response, St. Luke’s has confirmed that all patients have been relocated, with the last patient transferred by Saturday morning.
An anonymous employee from St. Luke’s provided ABC15 insight into the facility’s issues, which began when the air conditioning system failed. According to the employee, the air conditioning issues started last Thursday around 1pm, well before the hospital reported the problem to DHS on August 9.
When state officers arrived later that morning, they found the temperature both inside and outside the facility to be 99F. The officers declared an immediate jeopardy situation, noting that of the three portable chillers in the hospital, one was non-operational, and the other two had ceased functioning the previous evening.
At the time of the air conditioning failure, St. Luke’s had 72 patients in its care, including 14 adolescent and eight pediatric patients. DHS documents revealed that 32 of these patients were identified as needing immediate transfer to other facilities.
Additional concerns have emerged about the hospital’s overall condition. The DHS report cited issues beyond the HVAC system, including problems with elevators and kitchen equipment that also required repairs. According to an employee, the kitchen was shut down due to the unbearable heat caused by the lack of air conditioning.
St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Center was acquired by Steward Health in September 2017 as part of purchase of IASIS Healthcare. Steward released a statement following the state’s action. "We are alarmed at the state of Arizona’s arbitrary decision to force St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Center to suspend operations and halt patient care," the statement read. "In the midst of statewide shortages for critical behavioral health services, it is unconscionable for the state to halt patient care without a plan in place to serve these individuals with the ongoing care that they require. They are effectively closing this hospital and causing disruption of critical services to a vulnerable population with few options for care."
A hearing regarding the future of St. Luke’s operations is scheduled for August 29.