MIDVALE, Utah — Several state lawmakers have responded to a FOX 13 News investigation that exposed years of physical and sexual assaults inside a Midvale psychiatric hospital.
Highland Ridge Hospital is a for-profit facility owned by Acadia Healthcare.
Patients there have been getting sexually assaulted for years, and employees say they were trained to keep it from police.
Some investigators and employees refer to Highland Ridge Hospital as “The Rape Hospital” because of how frequently patients are assaulted and how infrequently the staff report those cases to police.
“I was told verbatim not to call 911,” said Emily Rose, who used to work at the facility as a behavioral health technician. “If anything was happening in the building, we were to deal with it ourselves within the building — never outside authority, no matter what. Even if it was an assault, a sexual assault, anything. We weren’t allowed to call 911.”
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Officers with the Unified Police Department have responded to more than 100 cases at Highland Ridge Hospital since 2019. More than half of those cases are from someone reported to be physically or sexually violent.
- 17 documented reports of sexual assault
- 31 documented reports of assault
In one case, police records show a patient’s death was not reported until after rigor mortis set in.
Lawmakers said they have been following stories from FOX 13 Investigates since 2021, but, at first, they did not expect they would have to step in. Cases have continued to pile up, and patients say they left Highland Ridge worse off than before.
“I couldn’t believe that it was happening in my district,” said Rep. Andrew Stoddard, D-Midvale. “We’ve got to make sure that these people are safe. They’re vulnerable people in a vulnerable position.”
“This should not be something that gets lost in the shuffle. Lives matter. These children matter,” said Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights. “I am shocked that this is something we are not addressing as a legislature... We should really emphasize making SAFE space, instead of just making space.”
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has revoked Highland Ridge Hospital’s license three times, which temporarily prevents the hospital from admitting new patients but allows the facility to stay open.
Stoddard said he has had conversations with DHHS officials about their lack of enforcement, and he was not happy with their excuses.
“What I’ve heard is, if they shut this place down – which they’d like to do – there's not space to take these patients,” Stoddard said. “When you’re balancing (availability) versus their public safety, I don’t think that’s acceptable.”
“It’s a choice between patients being sexually assaulted versus not having a place to go?” asked FOX 13 News investigative reporter Adam Herbets.
“Thats how it’s been told to me,” Stoddard responded.
Utah has nine other licensed psychiatric hospitals. Stoddard said he believes the state needs to incentivize the building of additional facilities, so long as they are safe.
“We as a state and as a legislature have really focused on these issues, but we’re still just so far behind,” Stoddard said.
Riebe agreed with Stoddard, that both Highland Ridge Hospital and the government have failed patients.
“This program is not meeting its intended goal, and it’s doing further harm. So, I think that it should be shut down. It should be monitored more closely,” Riebe said. “There is a path forward for keeping the building open and the resource open. With the people that are running it? No. With different leadership? Maybe.”
“So how does the government oust a CEO or oust an ownership group in a for-profit facility like this?” asked FOX 13 News investigative reporter Adam herbets.
“They could threaten to shut it down unless they bring in oversight,” Riebe said. “It’s very disappointing. These kids are going through a traumatic situation, and they’re only having their trauma furthered by this institution.”
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DHHS has the authority to shut down Highland Ridge Hospital, but so far officials have chosen not to.
Instead, they’ve issued dozens of citations for more than 100 problems since 2019.
“What more needs to happen before they do take that step, from your perspective?” asked FOX 13 News investigative reporter Adam Herbets.
“Nothing,” Stoddard replied. “I think we’re past that point... Sexual assault is unacceptable in any context.”
Sen. Mike Kennedy, R-Alpine, serves as chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. He declined an interview but sent a brief statement to FOX 13 News.
“I am aware. While (DHHS) is under the purview of (the executive branch), I am having conversations to understand what is happening and what the Legislature may be able to do to ensure safe and high-quality care for some of our more vulnerable citizens.”
Response from Highland Ridge Hospital
In an email to FOX 13 News, Highland Ridge Hospital CEO Jim Hess stated the hospital’s policy is to “not respond to rumors.”
“Our priority is and will continue to be ensuring the care and safety of all our patients,” he wrote.
Hess was interviewed by the Utah Attorney General’s Office in 2021 as part of a criminal investigation into the facility’s failure to report sexual assault.
Hess has sent multiple statements to FOX 13 News touting how proud he is of the care Highland Ridge Hospital provides to patients. However, in the interview with the Utah AG’s Office, Hess also acknowledged several issues, including a citation from DHHS for failure to report sexual assault.
“Our adolescent unit has been – we've had a number of incidents on that unit,” Hess said. “We’ve had a number of (assault) cases, actually a couple of adult cases too... On our adolescent unit, we’ve got males and females are on the unit. We don’t actually have a way to separate them, separate units.”
Hess went on to blame a lack of hospital employees and a lack of willingness from the Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) to take reports.
“I just don’t have the staff to, you know, keep everybody safe,” Hess said. “So we just have to say, nope, can’t take any more patients. But they’re still coming, so...”
“I didn’t know (DCFS was) turning cases away,” said Special Agent Scott Richardson. “In my (25+) years of law enforcement, I’ve never experienced that or heard that.”
Despite multiple unreported assaults and sexual assaults, just one misdemeanor charge was filed against a man named Jeremy Plumb for “FAILURE TO REPORT ABUSE OR NEGLECT.”
Plumb was the director of risk management at Highland Ridge Hospital.
The case never went to trial. Plumb initially pleaded guilty, but the charge was removed from his record after he paid a $690 fine as part of a plea deal.
“$690 for a lifetime of harm is not an adequate fine,” Riebe said. “The AG’s Office should be more aggressive. They should be more dedicated to the children of this state to protect them in these situations... Unfortunately, this organization has maximized on every opportunity to skirt any type of regulation that has been imposed. It’s very unfortunate, and I am looking at legislation to firm up action we can take against them.”
Complaints
DHHS is encouraging anyone with a complaint about Highland Ridge Hospital to contact them filling out this form.
Complainants have the option to remain anonymous.
Individuals may also file a criminal complaint by calling the Unified Police Department at (801) 840 4000.