The only public mental health facility within many miles of Chestertown may go bye-bye.
Members of the Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center Auxiliary came before the Kent County Commission on Tuesday to report that it is on a hit list of facilities being considered for termination.
They made heartfelt pleas that the commissioners – and the community – act now to save it.
The decision could come tomorrow (Wednesday) at the next meeting of the Board of Public Works in Annapolis.
Last year the Center, with 40 beds, had 198 admissions. “This is a facility where beds do not go unoccupied for many days,” said a letter from auxiliary treasurer Marie Anderson.
Patients include many without family support and “they all desperately need the mental health services they receive at the Upper Shore,” Anderson wrote. “Please support this voiceless population . . .”
In asking for community support Anderson noted that 193 people are employed full or part time at the center. She said, “The majority of these employees live in our around Kent County. They shop in and around Kent County. The hospital itself purchases services from Kent County business.
“The impact of that number of people in our community suddenly being unemployed would put an unprecedented strain on our county and city budgets.”
Anderson urged everyone to contact members of the Board of Public Works and ask that Upper Shore Center be saved.
The board consists of Gov. Martin O’Malley, Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot. They’ll meet at 10 a.m. in the governor’s office.
Anyone can make their views on Upper Shore Center known to these people by going to this website: www.bpw.state.md.us/ and clicking onto the image of any member. That leads to each one’s home page. There are easy links to follow to phone numbers of key staff and to a site for sending a message.
Ronnie Fithian says
This was not only a terrible idea, it was also done in a very sneaky way. We the County Commissioner’s were not made aware of this decision until Tuesday. The announcement will be made on Wednesday. Not much time to try to do anything about it. Our State delegation was not even made aware of the move. We have invited some representatives of the hospital to the Commissioner’s meeting on Tuesday Sept. 1st. This should be a lively discussion!
Patricia Deitz says
I have written this letter to the members of the BPW, to our Maryland delegation, and sent it to all my friends who are concerned about health policy and action in our state, encouraging them to do the same.
I truly hope you will encourage the BPW to reconsider the decision to close Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center. This hospital provides quality psychiatric services to the most needy and disturbed of our fellow citizens. It provides significant jobs in a small fragile economy. Patients are served from a rural five county area in which there is no public transportation for their families to travel to Cambridge or Baltimore to support them in other hospitals. Just because this is not a highly visible urban center, do not think it is a state service that can be dissolved with no consequences. Please reconsider this decision which will set in motion far more negative public policy consequences than the few million of dollars it will save for the deficit. Thank you.
Patricia Deitz, L.C.S.W.-C.