07/16/06

Officials from the juvenile-offender program Peace River Outward Bound expect that an annual inspection conducted after the June 17 death of a 14-year-old boy will cite some deficiencies in the program's medical services.

But that wouldn't be unusual.

The inspection includes a review of the contractor's compliance with more than a dozen health program standards, and, typically, there's always room for improvement, said Jon Howard, program director for Hurricane Island Outward Bound.

"I mean, there's always areas they identify as things to work on," Howard said.

Although the so-called Quality Assurance site inspection has recently been completed, details won't be released until the Department of Juvenile Justice completes a report on the inspection, said Tara Collins, spokeswoman for the department.

Typically, the reports take more than a month to complete.

The department contracted with Hurricane Island, which is based in Tallahassee, to operate several youth-offender programs in the state. Hurricane's programs include the 35-bed residential program Peace River Outward Bound, located along Horse Creek off Kings Highway in DeSoto County.

The Peace River program has come under scrutiny since the June 17 death of Dillon Tyler Peak, 14, of Punta Gorda.

Peak first became ill around May 14, when program staff found he had a fever of 104, according to his mother, Pamela Peak. She said the staffers took her son to DeSoto Memorial Hospital.

He was treated and released the same day back to Outward Bound, where he resided in a tent with several other boys, his mother said.

Four days later, staffers found the boy incoherent and going into seizures, she said. Again he was taken to the hospital. He was then transported to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.

At some point, he slipped into coma from which he never emerged, his mother said.

Doctors have theorized that Peak initially had a strep infection and later contracted a rare form of encephalitis, a virus typically borne by mosquitoes.

The death appears to be due to a medical condition, but the exact cause won't be determined until lab results from an autopsy are completed, according to the Pinellas County Medical Examiner's Office.

Both the Department of Juvenile Justice's inspector general and the Outward Bound corporation are conducting separate inquiries into the death, officials have said.

Hurricane Island has assigned Outward Bound staffers from programs in other counties and a safety specialist from out of state to assist in its internal investigation, Howard said.

The department's inspectors, in an exit interview with Peace River staff, indicated they "haven't found anything way out of the ordinary," Howard said.

As a precaution, however, the Peace River program has put a hold on accepting new detainees and has discontinued having boys reside in tents while awaiting investigation results.

If the inquiries recommend improvements to the medical service provided by Peace River, they will be implemented, Howard said.

In 2005, department inspectors found the Peace River facility in full compliance with the minimum standards of its contract, according to a report. The facility was rated "acceptable" on a scale that ranges from failure to "commendable."

The report rates the facility's performance on dozens of specific categories. Peace River's program management and training and staff development, for example, performed at a "minimal" level, according to the report.

Outward Bound's contract requires employees to undergo 120 hours of training before working with youth, but a number of employees only had 40 hours of training, according to the report.

Also rated "minimal" was "safety" at the facility.

The facility's health program scored an "acceptable" rating, according to the 2005 report.

Outward Bound had contracted with a local hospital for services, as well as a physician, dentist and psychiatrist for outpatient services and consultations, as required, the report states.

Also, Outward Bound adequately trains staff to administer both first aid and medications, the report indicates. The medical procedures were considered "satisfactory," according to the 2005 report.

Pamela Peak, in a recent interview, said the family feels Outward Bound bears responsibility for her son's death. She said staffers should have notified her when her son first became ill, as required under the contract.

Peak's family could not be reached for comment Thursday.

By GREG MARTIN

Staff Writer