ustxtxb_obs_1981_02_27_50_00021-00000_000.pdf

Page 3

by

liLeriti lunch Austin’s only open-air dance floor is now open every day and night for live music and homestyle meals. Come enjoy our laid-back tropical garden atmosphere. Fine wines & beers 405 West Second Street 477-0461 Life Insurance and Annuities Martin Elfant, CLU 600 Jefferson St., Houston, TX 77002 OFCANADA Stith Simply the best record shop in the state of Texastry us first for hard-to-find, local and regional records, lowest prices 24th austln, texas 472-9459 department, about incidents of abuse on the three wards. On Dec. 5, 1978, Bays and Slaton called on Nurse Haynie, repeating Slaton’s original report and adding the incidents he had since observed. “Once again,” Slaton said, “nothing happened.” Investigation Having following the approved hospital policy procedures to their limit, and, in the case of contacting personnel assistant Bays, having exceeded them, without visible results, Slaton was faced with a particularly nasty decision. On one hand, he had done all that was required of him in reporting the instances of patient abuse; to do more might smack of insubordination. On the other hand, the patients were still being handled from day to day by the staff members who beat, kicked, insulted and abused them. In February 1979, Waco V.A. Administrator Jerry Brannon was sent a letter, signed by “A Concerned Nurse,” detailing several instances of patient abuse in Building 90, and noting that “it’s no secret that patients have been slapped, kicked, beaten and burned by certain employees . . . the bruises, black marks and broken limbs are often inflicted by certain sadistic employees. No man can have 25 bruise marks on his body without something being maliciously wrong.” Although the letter was written to appear as though its author was a young, married female nurse, it was written by Slaton. He confirmed the fact in an interview in the Waco Tribune-Herald on June 13, 1980. \(Slaton said he masked his identity in the letter because he had been worried about the security of his job. He remained anonymous until his year’s probation was up, by which time enough attention had been drawn to the abuse cases so that his wouldn’t seem Copies of the letter were also sent to the V.A. in Washington and to several congressmen. \(Brannon denied ever reter, a field audit team was sent to Waco from the V.A. regional headquarters in Atlanta in July 1979. The results of the audit led V.A. officials to send, within three months, a full investigating team headed by Special Investigator Russell Kelly. Kelly conducted a four-month investigation of the Waco facility, finishing in February 1980. Virtually everything in Slaton’s letter was found to be true. During the investigation, two of the principals left the scene. Citing reasons of health, hospital administrator Brannon announced his retirement, effective Feb. 29, 1980. Before he left, however, Brannon talked with Special Investigator g innys ‘ COPYING SERVICE the legendary RAW DEAL Steaks, Chops, Chicken open lunch and evenings 605 Sabine, Austin No Reservations Copying Binding Printing Color Copying Graphics Word Processing Personal Service Quality Insurance ALICE ANDERSON AGENCY INSURANCE & REAL ESTATE 808A E. 46th, Austin, Texas 459-6577 Austin Lubbock Son Morcos THE TEXAS OBSERVER 21