Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) has faced extensive litigation across the country, including in Illinois, where several of its behavioral health facilities have been implicated in lawsuits related to the sexual abuse of patients. Among the most notorious UHS-operated facilities in Illinois with documented abuse allegations are Riveredge Hospital, Streamwood Behavioral Health, Rock River Academy (now closed), and Pavilion Behavioral Health System. These facilities, designed to provide mental health treatment to vulnerable individuals, particularly minors, have instead become sites of widespread allegations of abuse, neglect, and administrative failures that allowed sexual predators to exploit patients under their care.
The UHS Model: Profits Over Patient Safety
Universal Health Services is one of the largest behavioral health providers in the United States, operating hundreds of psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers, and outpatient programs nationwide. However, its history is marred by repeated accusations of understaffing, inadequate supervision, and systemic failures to protect patients.