VALHALLA, N.Y. (AP) -- A newspaper says New York state inspectors had several health and safety concerns with Westchester Medical Center's adolescent psychiatric unit and briefly halted admissions last month to the 20-bed unit.
The Journal News reported that concerns included a smoke detector that didn't sound when a girl set her mattress on fire, racist and obscene graffiti, showers that lacked privacy curtains and light, and overall conditions that posed "an imminent danger" to patients.
Hospital officials disputed the findings and stressed the difficulty of treating patients with the most severe psychiatric disorders. They have submitted a plan to address the state's concerns.
Many of the teenage patients have violent criminal histories and personal histories of neglect and abuse.
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