Providence sued after man with history of mental illness goes missing, dies after being discharged

A year after a man with a documented history of mental illness was found dead in a wooded area of Anchorage, Providence Hospital faces a lawsuit claiming negligence caused an avoidable death.

Joseph Grant Orand was treated at both Providence and Alaska Psychiatric Institute in the fall of 2017.

A series of admissions to Providence started in October after Orand became agitated, confused and removed his clothing while running an errand with his elderly grandparents, the lawsuit claims. A few days later he was transferred to API for evaluation after attempting to cut his own throat with a kitchen knife.

His final admission to the hospital came on Nov. 18, 2017. The lawsuit claims his behavior became increasingly erratic after he was discharged from API. Orand's elderly parents drove him to the hospital, and by the time they arrived at Providence, Orand had removed his clothes in the car.

The next day, Orand's parents were on their way to check on their son when the hospital released him in a taxi, the lawsuit states. Orand was not seen again until his body was discovered three months later.

"We felt that Providence and perhaps his healthcare profession failed to address the true nature of his mental challenges, the suicidal ideation and the complications he was having," attorney Jeff Vance said. "They failed him in the sense that he sought treatment through the emergency room, he was admitted, they evaluated him and released him, clearly prematurely because they released him to a taxi cab where, within a mile of the hospital campus, he jumped out, ran into the woods in the winter at night, and died."

Orand's parents told Channel 2 that their son suffered from depression most of his life, but his bipolar disorder became increasingly serious in the four years before his death. He was married and maintained a job.

His parents say the only fact that gives them peace is that Orand became a Christian three days before his last episode.

A spokesperson for Providence said in a statement that the hospital could not comment on pending litigation, but added, "We are always concerned for the safety and welfare of our patients. All person evaluated by the Emergency Department for a mental health concern receive a full psychological health assessment and a full physical health assessment. If the patient is deemed stable, they are discharged with an appropriate follow-up plan."

Orand's lawsuit comes amid a turbulent time for Alaska's mental health providers.

"Certainly there's been a complete fail in the system here," Vance said. "A man died because he wasn't treated extensively or evaluated extensively enough. I can't speak to whether or not it's part of a larger problem that we're facing in the state, but it certainly was 100 percent of the problem for Mr. Orand."