Ocean County , NJ History

WINSLOW — Slowly, progress is being made toward fixing years of long-standing problems at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital, says Assistant Human Services Commissioner Kevin Martone. A community warning system, which failed in December, has been improved so that nearby residents will be called the next time a patient escapes from the hospital grounds, Martone said. Staff must now contact police immediately if a patient is unaccounted for instead of looking for the patient first. A new, higher fence outside and new cameras inside will improve security. To cut down on overtime and payroll abuse, the hospital will be installing time clocks. In 2006, 300 employees each received at least $10,000 in overtime pay. Almost $9.1 million of Ancora's $85 million budget, or 10.7 percent, was spent on overtime. None of the employees are currently required to punch a time clock. But that will change, Martone said. The 37-year-old assistant commissioner, appointed to make reforms by former acting Go...

Allegations of nepotism, employees sleeping on the job and payroll abuse have brought normally private administrative hearings into the public eye at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital. Debra Weisman, a nurse at the hospital, says that over the past two years, she has complained about fellow nurses sleeping on the job, patient rounds being conducted by unqualified orderlies, and staff members claiming credit for hours they didn't work. She said her complaints go to Anita Jackson, the local union chief for nurses at Ancora. Weisman said she asked Jackson to take the complaints to Wilhemina Tameka Martin, the head nursing administrator for psychiatric services. Jackson and Martin are sisters. "I think that's a conflict of interest," Weisman said. "How can it not be a conflict when the union head is directly related to the boss above her?" Weisman said other nurses are reluctant to complain because they are afraid of retribution. She produced an Aug. 24, 2007, memo f...