Our investigation centered around a young father that committed suicide at Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine, Florida. He was admitted to the hospital after attempting suicide and was transferred to the hospital’s Behavioral Health Unit, under routine suicide precautions which included 15 minute checks. Action News obtained documentation of the hospital’s internal review of the night the patient committed suicide, detailing that staff did not follow policy. The documentation showed the 15 minute checks were not done for an extended period of time, and that documentation listing times the checks were done was inaccurate. According to the documents, there was a more than 6 hour window from the time the patient was last checked – to the time he was found dead, hanging from a bed sheet on the bathroom door in his room. The documentation also revealed as a result of the incident, the hospital was in the process taking various corrective actions. I made multiple requests for documentation and interviews about the incident with Flagler Hospital. A hospital spokesperson told me due to federal privacy laws staff could not confirm if a person is or ever was a patient in its Behavioral Health Unit. I also asked for an on camera interview to learn more about protocols or corrective measures in the Behavioral Health Unit but was denied. The hospital would only issue a statement. I was able to speak with the patient’s father, who expressed sadness and frustration about his son’s death and wanted the hospital to be held accountable. I also had a licensed psychologist (not affiliated with the hospital or case) to review the redacted documents and offer an expert opinion on the incident as well. During my investigation, I learned that state and federal health agencies are also investigating the incident at Flagler Hospital. Those investigations were still ongoing when my story aired.
