11-030, findings #1Licensee did not produce Resident#1 's treatment file for inspection to California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs staff And #2 Licensee provided an inaccurate statement to the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs.
The reason the file was not initially located and why an inaccurate statement was made is because our storage for archived files was too full and had become disorganized. We have since purchased an additional 10 x 40 storage container to house archived files. We have re-organized all of our files, by year, alphabetically and with master lists, to ensure that files are easily found and well organized.
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has the sole authority in state government to license adult alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities. Within DHCS, the Licensing and Certification Branch (LCB) is responsible for assuring that quality services are provided to all program participants in a safe and healthful environment through the licensure, certification, regulation, and oversight of a statewide system of alcohol and other drug recovery and treatment facilities and programs and counselors.
Tony Ortega reported on a California, Narconon-related death in 2010 at The Underground Bunker.The state's investigation was the result of a complaint that was filed with the Calilfornia Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. A total of 8 deficiencies were cited and all were substantiated. Not surprisingly, some discrepancies exist between the patient record and statements made by Narconon employees who were interviewed by the state surveyor. One of the citations involved Narconon making misrepresentations to the state. Quote11-030, findings #1Licensee did not produce Resident#1 's treatment file for inspection to California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs staff And #2 Licensee provided an inaccurate statement to the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. Narconon's response in their Corrective Action Plan (CAP).QuoteThe reason the file was not initially located and why an inaccurate statement was made is because our storage for archived files was too full and had become disorganized. We have since purchased an additional 10 x 40 storage container to house archived files. We have re-organized all of our files, by year, alphabetically and with master lists, to ensure that files are easily found and well organized.Their CAP, in this instance, is reminiscent of Narconon of Georgia's problems with record-keeping in the Desmond case. These folks just have trouble keeping up with their records and emails! I wonder who has access to the medical records? Probably, only the people charged with protecting consumers are denied access to them. A nurse, interviewed by the CDADP's Complaint Analyst, stated the patient had declined to go to the emergency room. However, the record states that the patient requested to be transported to the ER at least once. Unfortunately, we only have a portion of a heavily redacted record. I'm baffled as to why dates, temperature readings and the reported cause of death were redacted?Several notations about the patient's temperature were made in the medical record by a nursing assistant. She documented several times that the temperature would be re-checked within a certain period of time. The documentation for the re-checks was not always found in the patient record. I'm going out on a limb here and assuming the patient's temp was elevated. Was the lack of documentation negligence on the part of the nursing assistant? Was a portion of the medical record altered/omitted?According to the RN, the patient was "closely monitored' and seen by a Nurse Practitioner. The nursing assistant was no longer working for Narconon.At any rate, Narconon submitted their CAP for all 8 deficiencies. Despite the misrepresentation and difficulties locating records, CDADP accepted the CAP - end of story.The CDADP no longer exists as of July 1 2013. http://www.adp.ca.gov/Now, CA DCHS is in charge. As this information just recently came to light, I'm assuming they released the heavily redacted records. QuoteThe Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has the sole authority in state government to license adult alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities. Within DHCS, the Licensing and Certification Branch (LCB) is responsible for assuring that quality services are provided to all program participants in a safe and healthful environment through the licensure, certification, regulation, and oversight of a statewide system of alcohol and other drug recovery and treatment facilities and programs and counselors. http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/individuals/Pages/LicensingandCertification.aspxI have one question for the California DHCS. WHO ARE YOU PROTECTING?
In November, we told you about the death of Tabatha Lynn Fauteux, a 26-year-old New Hampshire woman who was found dead in a Los Angeles apartment, apparently of a drug overdose. She had been staying at the apartment with a boyfriend for several weeks while the two of them underwent training in the Church of Scientology’s revamping of its drug rehab program, Narconon. Before they went to L.A. for the training, the two of them had been working together at Narconon’s clinic in Harlingen, Texas and had each been sober for about a year.Tabatha died on November 6, and for our story later that month, we talked to her father, Guy Fauteux, 52, who was still struggling to get details about his daughter’s death. He was unhappy that he was getting little information from Scientology and Narconon, and he also hadn’t heard from Los Angeles or California authorities. But he had heard from Tabatha’s friends that while she was in L.A. she had used an herbal drug known as kratom, a legal substance which produces a high something like the heroin addiction she had sought treatment for. As we pointed out in our story, there have been increasing reports of overdose deaths with kratom because it can be laced with powerful, synthetic drugs.Now, the Underground Bunker has spoken to Tabatha’s boyfriend, who was with her in Los Angeles. Guy Fauteux confirmed the young man’s identity for us, but we are holding back the boyfriend’s real name at his request and will refer to him as Nick.
Author
Topic: Narconon Deaths (Read 154436 times)