In this brief clip from the Salem Statesman-Journal, Oregon State Hospital’s superintendent Roy Orr says why his staff and policies are not responsible for the death of patient Moises Perez.
Orr implies blame for the mental health system outside of the hospital for failing to serve prospective patients, and attempts to reframe the committees concern by explaining the additional patient observation to be started by April 1.
Roy Orr: “I want this organization to be known for having a balanced concern for physical health as well as mental health.”
Roy Orr: “The reason he died is … system failed him. He had severely occluded coronary arteries and a number of [other] medical issues. While there were treatments available to him…he frequently failed to take the medications and to respond to treatment.”
Speaking as a descendant of two brothers who were committed in 1896 by their mother after their father died – she remarried and listed herself a friend. She lied on the committment forms among other things that the boys had no education yet they are listed as classmates with my great grandmother.The institution apparently took anyone and everyone without verification of information. The committment papers state epilepsy. The court papers state that they were “insane” A letter was submitted to the judge by a citizen paid by the county of Jackson who wrote this “subject” is insane and he was able to verify this because he was a land owner.
The list of reasons for committment of other people during the same month as my g-granduncles were such things as religion, masturbation, and epilesy. My g-granduncles were listed as “idiots” rather than the initial reason of epilepsy. Now it turns out, the the younger brother died in 1906 making him one of the people whose bodies were exhumed and cremated. But the hospital has no idea of where the remains are. The older brother died in 1921, the hospoital’s excuse for not knowing where his remains are is that he was transfered to the institution for the feeble minded. However his death certificate clearly shows that he was picked up from Oregon State Hospital Crematory by W.J. Rigdon & Sons undertakers in Salem. The hospital has no idea of where his remains are either. There is simply no excuse for the institution’s violations of all civil liberties to the patients or the families would have demanded their family’s remains.It is beyond belief that the Federal Government has not filed criminal charges against the hospital after the discovery of thousands of copper urns containing remains of people who died at this Nazi-like institution. If the hospital exhibits this level of disrespect for the dead I can imagine what they did to them when they were alive. The people need to make an example of this institution to ensure it never happens again.
My Grandfather died in Hawthorne mental hospital in the late 20’s in Portland, Oregon. How do I get a death certificate?