The Broadview Developmental Center was a
psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociat ...
built in 1939 near
Broadview Heights
Broadview Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb in the Greater Cleveland area. The city's population was 19,936 at the 2020 census.
History
Early history
Native Americans once occupied the land that is now ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Constructed under the
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
as part of
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, it functioned as a
Veterans Administration
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...
Hospital until 1966 when it was sold to the state of Ohio. The Broadview Developmental Center was then converted into a psychiatric hospital, and remained open until 1993 when the prevailing opinion on
mental health
Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...
shifted from
institutional care to
community-based care, and the
hospital lost its funding. The building was demolished in 2006, except for its newest portion, which was kept as the city of Broadview Heights' city hall and recreation centr
Broadview Veterans Administration Hospital
The hospital originally opened in 1939, under the control of the
United States Veterans Administration. While it performed traditional functions by caring for the numerous veterans of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, it also served as housing for victims of
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...
. Because the disease was highly contagious, most infected persons were separated from the general public. They were often entered into
sanitaria such as Broadview, where they could be cared for without threat to the at-large populatio
Designed to be self-sufficient, the campus included a full cafeteria and kitchen, dental offices, a beauty shop, and a chapel. It also included small cottages on the property, where patients who required less supervision were housed. Separate wards were built for children and maternity patients. This minimized contact between patients and the outside world, thus reducing risk of infection. Most of the staff had offices on campus.
With the discovery of
Streptomycin
Streptomycin is an antibiotic medication used to treat a number of bacterial infections, including tuberculosis, ''Mycobacterium avium'' complex, endocarditis, brucellosis, ''Burkholderia'' infection, plague, tularemia, and rat bite fever. F ...
in 1946, the usefulness of these facilities began to wane. The
antibiotic proved a potent treatment for tuberculosis, significantly reducing the risk of widespread contagion. This limited Broadview Hospital's use to the federal government, which sold the facility to the state of Ohio in 1966.
Broadview Developmental Center
The state government promptly converted the hospital into a
institution for people with
developmental disabilities
Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
. There were multiple court cases that found allegations of abuse, including Collyer v. Broadview Developmental Cent
and Nicoletti v. Brown. A
United States Department of Justice, DOJ investigation into the conditions at Broadview Developmental Center, as well as Cleveland and Warrensville, found numerous issues, including overuse of physical and chemical restraints, lack of legally required training programs, and deficiencies in medical care.
This likely contributed to the hospital losing its ICF/MR certification. The administration applied for a four-year extension which was granted. Broadview Developmental Center, the most recent closure, could not maintain ICF/MR certification. Legislation was introduced in 1989 to keep the center open for four years till 1993 to obtain Medicaid certification.
ww.equipforequality.org/publications/cipp_final.doc
The center closed, and the residents were transferred to other developmental centers or to community-based programs in 199
Abandonment/Deinstitutionalization
The building was abandoned almost immediately. Large amounts of medical and office equipment were left within, personal artifacts belonging to former staff and patients, and numerous filing cabinets filled with patient records. The abandonment caused a large amount of controversy, as the majority of former patients had been released to community-based organizations (most residents did not have any family what so ever), and all records of their treatment, progress, and illness have been lost in the subsequent clean-up and renovation.
Broadview became a popular target for
vandalism
Vandalism is the action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property.
The term includes property damage, such as graffiti and defacement directed towards any property without permission of the owner. The term ...
, and also attracted
paranormal investigator
Ghost hunting is the process of investigating locations that are reported to be haunted by ghosts. Typically, a ghost-hunting team will attempt to collect evidence supporting the existence of paranormal activity. Ghost hunters use a variety of ...
s as rumors began to surface that the facility was haunted by former patients. Its windows were boarded and the city erected a chain-link fence to keep out would-be explorers. General Assembly voted to sell Broadview Center to the City of Broadview Heights. In the Broadview closure, the local County Board of MR/DD, Cuyahoga County, developed the community alternatives, and community outcomes were improve
In the Broadview closure, parents were active stakeholders in a state-sponsored Oversight Committee, and they helped to establish the criteria for what was needed to support their son or daughter in the community.
It remained in this condition until 1995, when the general Assembly voted to sell Broadview Center to the City of Broadview Height
The city of Broadview Heights purchased the Developmental Center from the state of Ohio for $750,00
http://www.broadview-heights.org/abouthistory.html] The city tore down many of the outlying structures including the cottages, and built a new police station on the grounds. The building was partially renovated and transformed into a
community center
Community centres, community centers, or community halls are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole co ...
with an indoor swimming pool and recreational facilities. During the renovation, city inspectors discovered a significant
asbestos threat, forcing a temporary delay in construction while the hazardous substance was remove
Transition and Community Living
The transition plans for residents of Broadview were highly individualized. The resident and his or her family/guardian were involved in the service plan development. The Cuyahoga County Board worked in conjunction with the staff at the institution. A resident or family member/guardian could refuse a prospective placement and request another one or have the option of transferring to another institution. After establishing the criteria for what was required to meet client needs, Broadview asked for a Request for Proposals from the community to develop services to meet specific needs. It took almost two years to move all residents to the community. A majority of the residents went to new eight-bed Intermediate Care Facilities (
Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, ICF/IID) that were created at that time. Another large number of residents went to congregate living dwellings, operated by community vendors, with six or fewer beds. Four areas identified as being the hardest services or needs to fill in the community ar
# transportation – in addition, the providers complain that they don't receive adequate reimbursement for this service;
# dental;
# maintaining quality direct support staff; and
# insufficient quantity of some specialty support staff, such as physical and occupational therapists.
Demolition
After the building was cleared of asbestos, further city construction projects were approved for the community grounds. The grounds adjacent to the Broadview Developmental Center, which is home to Broadview Heights' city hall (since 1999) is maintaine
The Broadview Developmental Center was scheduled for demolition in early 2001, but financial troubles in the city government forced delays. A no-interest government loan was secured in 200
and the demolition process began in early 200
The city plans to expand the recreation center, and develop the campus into a center for municipal government.
References
# : https://web.archive.org/web/20070528030612/http://www.ohiourbanites.com/urbex/bdc.html Multiple pages with many recent pictures
# : http://www.forgottenoh.com/Broadview/broadview.html Good history and many pictures, but a few years old
# : https://web.archive.org/web/20060811104726/http://www.ohioaccess.ohio.gov/pdf/ohioaccessrpt2001.pdf The closure was in 1993
# : https://web.archive.org/web/20060929020006/http://pbr.ohio.gov/pdf/1992/92-IDS-04-0220.pdf One of several allegations of abuse
# : https://web.archive.org/web/20060621104000/http://www.clevelandpress.com/clnews-september.htm Information about the city loan can be found here
# : http://www.broadview-heights.org/abouthistory.html The city's page for the historical timeline of the BDC
# : https://web.archive.org/web/20110726034151/http://www.equipforequality.org/publications/cipp_final.doc A Nationwide Study Of Deinstitutionalization & Community Integration
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Hospital buildings completed in 1939
Psychiatric hospitals in Ohio
Buildings and structures in Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Works Progress Administration in Ohio
1939 establishments in Ohio
1993 disestablishments in Ohio