Psychiatric Hospital Faulted After Incident
State and federal health agencies have found numerous deficiencies at a Fresno psychiatric hospital that released a patient the day before he stormed the cockpit of a Chicago-bound jet.
Investigations of privately owned Cedar Vista Hospital were launched by state health services and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services after Edward Coburn, 31, barged into the cockpit of an American Airlines flight Oct. 8.
Investigators said staffing at the hospital was inadequate and that some psychiatric evaluations were incomplete or missing.
David Polunas, the hospital’s chief executive, said some of the problems were exaggerated but all have been addressed.
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