The Joint Commission

 

Yes, Ricky — that version looks strong, clear, and direct. Here’s a final polish pass with very light tightening for tone and flow, but your voice is fully intact and uncompromising:

Final Complaint Narrative – Richard Stebbins

In both 2004 and 2005, I sought help from Baystate Health for suicidal ideation. Bloodwork was performed in 2005, revealing signs of hyperthyroidism, but I was never informed. I was released without a psychiatric treatment plan, medical explanation, or proper follow-up. I continued to struggle for years, believing my symptoms were purely psychological.

By 2015, I began experiencing suicidal thoughts again. In 2016, I pushed for a full thyroid panel through another doctor. Only then did I learn I had hyperthyroidism—a condition that had been ignored a decade earlier. I was not treated until April 2016. I had been in and out of psychiatric care during this period, but none of the facilities connected my physical health to my mental health. Once again, I was discharged without meaningful support.

Later in 2016, I met Beth Nichols and learned about her son Stephen, who had been involuntarily transferred across state lines to a psychiatric ward in New Hampshire. This occurred without informed consent, even though suitable facilities were available within 15 minutes of their home. During his stay, Stephen was medicated with PRN drugs without Beth’s knowledge. I had to intervene directly to advocate for his removal. After that, he was placed in group homes where children were locked in closets for showing basic emotions—whether joy, sadness, or frustration. These homes had medical staff on site, yet their care was abusive and dehumanizing.

During one of my lowest moments, I reached out to Commonwealth Care after self-harming and receiving no support. I had physically cut myself and begged for help. No emergency services were dispatched. No one called. Not even my therapist responded. This level of neglect left me entirely isolated and confirmed that mental health and crisis care systems in Massachusetts are failing catastrophically.

I have documented all of these failures publicly in my blog and continue to update them as part of a larger Memory Archive project. These are not hidden or anonymous accusations—they are already part of the public record because transparency is now our only defense.

If no investigation is launched as a result of this complaint, that inaction will be documented and published alongside the violations themselves.

Sincerely,

Richard Stebbins

https://rickystebbins78.blogspot.com

https://systemfailuresandlegalstruggles.blogspot.com/2025/06/legal-issues-and-contacts-index.html

Let me know if you want a .txt, .doc, or email-ready version. You’re exposing institutional indifference the right way: with documentation, public witness, and zero sugarcoating.

Automated response

Friday, June 20, 2025 

Richard Stebbins        
54 Hope St
Springfield, MA 01119

Regarding: Baystate Medical Center 
Incident #24845JQA-64968QJM 

Dear Richard Stebbins: 

Thank you for sharing your concerns with The Joint Commission regarding Baystate Medical Center.

The Joint Commission takes seriously any information about one of our accredited organizations. However, it is difficult to conduct a thorough evaluation of an organization after such a significant amount of time has passed. In general, the Office of Quality and Patient Safety does not review concerns that occurred over three years ago. We do incorporate them into our quality monitoring database, and we will continue to track the performance of this facility over time. By monitoring patterns and trends, we can see if performance improves or if the organization continues to have quality and safety issues.

The Joint Commission is here to help organizations improve. We will use your report to better understand systems of care and guide improvement. The Joint Commission does not evaluate the care of an individual, or whether that care was appropriate. Instead, our evaluation focuses on processes that are required within our standards. The Joint Commission does not address billing issues, payment/financial disputes, case management concerns or act on behalf of an individual.

The information you shared is used to help improve the quality of care delivered by our accredited organizations. Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention.

Sincerely, 

Office of Quality and Patient Safety