Statement to BuzzFeed
December 22, 2017
Universal Health Services (UHS) has steadfastly denied and refuted the conclusions
and assertions of coordinated practices at UHS Behavioral Health facilities as
reported by BuzzFeed. Its coverage of UHS has been sensationalized, anecdotal and
lacking important context. Toward that end, UHS sought the advice of a reputable
strategic communications firm to ensure, in the interest of accuracy and fairness,
that our side of the story was told. The websites were developed to educate the
public and provide additional information regarding facility operations. We will
continue to put forth the facts to the public about our facilities in the face of such
accounts.
We believe that caring for our patients is a sacred trust and we take all steps
necessary to protect their privacy rights. Staff at each of our facilities receives
mandatory training regarding patient confidentiality. Further, both federal and state
laws mandate the protection of patient identities, records and information regarding
their treatment at any health care facility. Certain facilities have taken legal action
against former employees who violated patient privacy laws and protections.
While the court in Oklahoma denied the injunction, it did so purely on legal grounds
relating to the Healthcare Authority’s legal rights to terminate the contract. The
Court did not issue any findings of fact based on the allegations in the BuzzFeed
article or operations at the facility. The facility has remained open and operational.