Opponents of plan to close Mandeville hospital plan rally as patient ...

With the state launching its controversial plan to close Southeast Louisiana Hospital near Mandeville this week, opponents of the move planned a rally for Wednesday in hopes of turning up the heat on Gov. Bobby Jindal's adminstration. The state Department of Health and Hospitals on Tuesday was to move 60 patient beds from SELH to a similar state-run facility in Pineville. On Oct. 9, DHH will transfer an additional 34 beds to the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System facility in Jackson, La., department spokesman Meghan Speaks said.

DHH is still identifying private partners in the New Orleans and north shore areas for the remaining 17 adult acute care beds and 50 youth patient beds. Those relocations are expected to be completed by the end of 2012, Speaks said in a release.

The Committee to Save Southeast Louisiana Hospital, a loosely-organized group formed after the state announced its plan to close the hospital in July, has planned a "peaceful rally" in front of hospital, located just east of Mandeville on U.S. 190.

The point of the rally is to push elected officials from conservative St. Tammany Parish to "stand up to Jindal" and stop the state from closing the hospital, which provides mental health and substance abuse treatment for patients from throughout the New Orleans area, said Loren Foret, a spokesman for the committee.

Supporters say the hospital allows families to stay in close contact with patients, an advantage that will cease when the beds are transferred to Jackson and Pineville.

"We want people to understand what's being done to these patients," Foret said.

Citing reduced federal money for Medicaid, DHH announced in July it would shutter the hospital, an icon in Mandeville for decades. Department officials said they want to ensure a sustainable behavioral health care system for the future by de-emphasizing the role of large public institutions and instead building partnerships with community providers.

The announcement touched off raging opposition in the western St. Tammany community, particularly among hospital staffers and families of hospital patients. Two public hearings have drawn large crowds to speak against the closure of the hospital and the Jindal administration. Several public bodies, including the Mandeville City Council, have gone on record to oppose the state's decision.

Area legislators, most of whom are close political allies of Jindal, have also spoken against the move. In September, legislators sought an opinion from the state Attorney General's Office as to whether the state had the authority to close the facility. A spokesperson for the AG's office said Monday that the opinion, sought by State Sen. Jack Donahue, R-Mandeville, is still being researched.

Supporters say the hospital, which provides mental health and substance abuse treatment for patients from throughout the New Orleans area, allows families to stay in close contact with patients, an advantage that will cease when the beds are transferred to Jackson and Pineville.

Southeast Louisiana Hospital is also provides an economic boost to the parish. With 563 employees, it is one of the largest employers in St. Tammany. DHH officials said there are currently 476 positions filled at the hospital and 87 vacant positions, which they attribute to normal turnover.

Jindal administration officials said they are grappling with an $859 million cut to the state's federal Medicaid financing and must take steps to close the gap. They estimate closing the hospital will save $1.6 million this fiscal year and $3.5 million in subsequent years.

Hospital supporters said they hope to continue the fight to preserve the hospital or find a private entity that might be interested in taking over its operations, which they acknowledge would be plan B.

State Rep. Tim Burns, R-Mandeville, said he would like for the the hospital to remain as it is, operated by the state and treating patients from throughout the region. But he is not optimistic.

"I just don't think there's anything we can do to stop the transfer of patients,'' he said. "It's a regrettable thing."

Source: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/10/opponents_of_plan_to_close_man.html

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