Puzzling Good News From Orangewood : If Audit Shows Youth Shelter’s Medication Practices Are Proper, Why Withhold Details?

Although it was reassuring recently to learn that there apparently are no major problems involving the dispensing of medication at the Orangewood Children’s Home, there should be concern about the secrecy that has surrounded the controversy.

Orangewood, which cares for neglected and abused children, has had a good record since opening 10 years ago, replacing the old, overcrowded Albert Sitton Home. The staff has done good work, especially considering the fragile condition of many of the youngsters who are admitted. But as young wards of the court, the boys and girls at Orangewood need protection; their treatment deserves constant monitoring.

A year ago a former mental health supervisor at the facility contended that a psychiatrist was over-medicating young patients, mixing prescriptions improperly and giving the children adult dosages. Health officials rightly were concerned. Supervisor William G. Steiner, who was largely responsible for getting Orangewood built and oversaw its operations before joining the county board, led the campaign for an audit of operations.

Disclosure of the audit’s general conclusions was delayed too long, and its details still have not been made available. Some blame was laid to turmoil caused by the county’s bankruptcy. But a more puzzling aspect of the delay in the general conclusions was the refusal of the Torrance psychiatrist who led the three-person audit team to release her findings.

County officials said the psychiatrist withheld her conclusions because of concern that she could be sued for defamation. If the concern was valid, it should have been allayed at the start of the audit, perhaps with assurances of legal counsel from county lawyers. If not, someone else should have been chosen for the team.

In any event, the auditors’ apparent rejection of claims of improper medication would seem to indicate there would be no grounds for defamation, so the psychiatrist’s concern was puzzling. She has refused to comment. Unfortunately, the county’s lawyer has ruled that regulations allowing confidential review of a doctor’s practices bar release of the audit report. So the public must wait for other investigators to study Orangewood’s operations and publicize their findings.

Officials should adopt a spirit of fuller disclosure in such investigations. The public is entitled to know more about how the medication of children is being handled at such an important public institution.