Adithya Sambamurthy, The Bay Citizen

Napa State Hospital is plagued by violent assaults on staff

Napa State Hospital will face fines of more than $100,000 for safety violations in the wake of the murder of a psychiatric technician there last October, KTVU reported. 

The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or CalOSHA, cited violations ranging from inadequate police presence to nonexistent alarm systems to failure to enforce written policies. The hospital, which can appeal the fines, has been ordered to correct all the violations by May 15. 

The beleaguered state mental hospital suffered the death of a patient Monday, after he allegedly attacked his roommate. William Roebling, 47, died after being subdued by staff. The roommate was unharmed. Staff at the hospital now fear retaliation from patients, KGO reported. 

Since the death of technician Donna Gross last October at the hands of a patient, the 135-year-old facility has been the subject of protests by staffers charging that it remains unsafe for both staff and the patients, The Bay Citizen has reported. More than 80 percent of the approximately 1,150 patients at Napa were committed there by criminal courts; many were deemed incompetent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity. 

The union representing the psychiatrists who work in the hospital had a mixed reaction to the CalOSHA fines. "We are pleased that OSHA has issued these fines against the Department of Mental Health, but frankly, it's not enough," Stuart Bussey, president of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists, said in a statement. "$100,000 is peanuts compared to a life. But we're optimistic that these fines mean we're on the road to making DMH facilities safe for staff and patients. It's a good first step."