Equip for Equality, Inc. v. Ingalls Memorial Hosp.

MENTAL
HEALTH

Equip for Equality, Inc. v. Ingalls Memorial Hosp., No. 03 C 0797 (N.D.
Ill.
Nov. 26, 2003)

The federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
ruled that an entity designated by the state of Illinois to protect and advocate
for the rights
of individuals with mental illness must be granted "reasonable access" to
a hospital and its patients. This included unaccompanied access to inpatient
and outpatient units during, at a minimum, normal working hours and visiting
hours. However, the court did not require the hospital to grant unaccompanied
and unannounced access on a 24-hour basis, absent a complaint or probable cause.
The court noted that much of its ruling relied on the plain language of the access
provisions of the relevant statutes and regulations.