St Alexius Medical Center Behavior and Mental Health

St Alexius always stood for high standards of care but this does not extend to their mental health services whether inpatient or community based. The lack of concern for persons with chronic mental illness and the safety of their family eludes this group of professionals. It is amazing that when my own family member suffering traumatic brain injury, aggressively attacked my elderly mother with intent to cause serious bodily harm, had a hospital stay that lasted less than a week and she was released back without supervision or criminal charges. This is only one of the many threatening events that precluded this incident and it was truly a miracle no was was killed by her actions. Years of medical training and thousands of dollars in medical costs simply provided us with the explanation that it was my elderly mother’s fault that her own daughter could act in such a manner. This lack of interest in real diagnosis and treatment plans was a consistent pattern seen over the years as my sister was hospitalized on numerous occasions for some inappropriate or unsafe behavior. A letter outlining concerns of the physican’s care was presented to the CEO of the hospital but generated only a canned response and no follow-​up .
Was this limited just to my own family member? No. When a classmate of my son’s was hospitalized for severe depression compounded by bouts of heavy drinking, he was released within 24 hours despite desperate phone calls by a well respected physician in the area who also happened to be his father. Within a year, this person was found dead and one wonders if perhaps the staff of St A’s had done their part, if this death could have been prevented.
With mental health services becoming a premium, it would be well worth the time and effort to secure them elsewhere’s. Fargo has excellent services for inpatient care that demand real solutions not just empty promises.