The Office of the Attorney General said its probe concluded that NYP failed to properly evaluate and stabilize patients in emergency departments, left more than 100 licensed psychiatric beds offline as of May 2023, and diverted ambulances carrying mental health patients without a defined policy.
"Too many New Yorkers experiencing mental health crises have been met with inadequate care when they need help most," James said in the announcement. "Mental health care is necessary medical care, and hospitals have a legal and moral obligation to treat these crises with urgency and compassion."
According to the OAG, investigators reviewed data from thousands of emergency department visits involving behavioral health conditions, along with patient records, hospital policies, and psychiatric bed capacity data. The office said it identified consistent failures to screen and stabilize patients and inadequate measures to prevent elopements — patients leaving before discharge.
The announcement described several incidents the OAG said illustrated the gaps. In one, the office said, a patient with a history of suicide attempts who told staff he "couldn't control when he wanted to hurt people" waited more than two days in the ER for an inpatient bed and eloped despite an order for close supervision. In another, a teenage patient flagged as high-risk for suicide or violence "eloped from the hospital within minutes" after staff failed to implement safety precautions, according to the OAG.
The OAG said a young man brought in by EMS and police after attacking a bystander fled the emergency department, but that NYP "did not notify law enforcement until the following day."
Under the settlement, NYP must strengthen screening for suicide, violence and substance use risks, establish mandatory observation protocols, upgrade its electronic health record system, and coordinate discharges with outside providers. The hospital will also be subject to ongoing monitoring and must track every elopement incident.
NYP agreed to pay $500,000 and faces a $10,000 penalty per violation for future breaches of the settlement terms, the AG's office said. The hospital must also comply with state laws governing psychiatric bed capacity.
Glenn Liebman, CEO of the Mental Health Association in New York State, said the settlement was "an important reminder of the ongoing need for strong oversight and enforcement." Nathan McLaughlin, executive director of NAMI New York State, said the findings "reflect the unfortunate reality individuals and families have experienced for years."
The matter was handled by Assistant Attorneys General Michael Reisman and Gina Bull under Health Care Bureau Chief Darsana Srinivasan, the OAG said.