Administrators Appointed at Orangewood

SANTA ANA — The county’s Health Care Agency on Thursday appointed two new administrators to oversee medical care at the Orangewood Children’s Home and ensure that drugs are prescribed properly.

The moves come about a month after a critical report concluded that county psychiatrists jeopardized the health of abused and neglected children at Orangewood by prescribing powerful drugs without recording diagnoses, failing to keep accurate charts and changing drugs with questionable frequency.

The report was prepared over the past three years by the Juvenile Justice Commission, an organization that oversees the way in which basic services are provided to children under county care.

In response to the commission’s findings, the Health Care Agency conducted an examination into medication practices last month that found “no instances of sub-standard or unorthodox treatments or medication prescribing practices” at Orangewood. The response also outlined a variety of reforms and new rules that the agency instituted since the charges of improper medication at Orangewood first surfaced in 1994.

County Mental Health Director Timothy P. Mullins said Thursday that the new administrators will be responsible for ensuring that the reforms are followed.

“They will make sure that everything that should get done is getting done,” Mullins said.

Cynthia Stokke, chairwoman of the Juvenile Justice Commission, said she was encouraged by the staffing changes.

“There must be a reason for these moves, and I think it’s in a positive direction for the kids at Orangewood,” she said. “Obviously, there was a lack of accountability there. Moving some new people in is very encouraging.”

The two administrators are Natalie Banning, who until now worked with the agency’s quality assurance team, and Dr. George Pascarzi, a child psychiatrist who works for the county. Banning and Pascarzi also will be responsible for medical care at Juvenile Hall.

Mullins stressed that no one was demoted during the changes at the Children & Youth Mental Health Services division, which is part of the Health Care Agency.

Banning and Pascarzi will report to division manager Bernard Rappaport on day-to-day matters and directly to Mullins on how the new rules are being implemented. V. John Iagjian, another children and youth services manager, will be responsible for overseeing regional county youth programs.

Some critics have called for more sweeping changes in the wake of the Juvenile Justice Commission report, including a new management team for the entire Children & Youth Mental Health Services division.

Members of the Juvenile Justice Commission have called for some type of independent oversight for medication practices by experts not employed by the Health Care Agency. They have also urged the agency to provide more specific details on how it will monitor the actions of county doctors.

The Juvenile Justice Commission’s findings were based in part on several confidential reports and audits that the commission subpoenaed from Children & Youth Mental Health Services. Attorneys for the agency unsuccessfully fought the subpoena in court, arguing that the documents should remain confidential.

The commission’s report had criticized the agency for not more aggressively investigating charges of improper medicating when they were first raised three years ago.