Gov. Martin O’Malley says now he is reconsidering his decision to close the Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center.
Appearing on Maryland Public Television’s program Ask the Governor on Wednesday night, O’Malley acknowledged that his initial decision to close Upper Shore was based on “faulty” information.
The governor noted that Secretary John Colmers of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene had “accepted chastisement” during an intense public meeting in Chestertown, for supplying the Board of Public Works with inaccurate information about Upper Shore.
Colmers had told the Board before it voted to close the center that most of its patients came from Baltimore — when in fact almost none do. That suggested that these patients could find treatment in Baltimore and that the upper Eastern Shore did not have as great a need for the center as it actually does. He also said (and he keeps insisting) that the region has other resources to absorb the center’s patients — when it does not.
O’Malley told the statewide television audience that Colmer’s information was “outdated.” And so, he said, “We are going back and taking another look at that (his decision to close Upper Shore).” He stopped short, however, of reversing himself or delaying the closing.
He conceded that a rural community does not have other resources to fall back on when a facility such as this — Chestertown’s 10th largest employer with more than 100 health care professionals — is shut down.
The closure — which would save the state some $8 million annually — is part of a long-term shift of uninsured mental health patients from state-run centers to private community-based facilities. Colmers told the Board of Public Works he is talking with private providers about doing that — but he said he can’t promise that all the patients would continue to be treated on the Eastern Shore.
O’Malley told him to come back to the board if he cannot come up with a workable plan for treating Upper Shore’s patients.
The governor noted that the center is not scheduled to close until January. That seemed to suggest a grace period for finding money from elsewhere to keep it open. It could also suggest he’s not going to decide quickly whether to lift the axe. But O’Malley may have less time than he knows. Upper Shore may have to stop accepting new patients within weeks.
He said that he had been contacted by Rep. Frank Kratovil “who made a forceful argument to keep it open.”
And, he acknowledged, “There has been a very effective lobbying effort” from the community, which has been fighting hard for Upper Shore. He said he had received 50 emails just today, urging him to reconsider and not close the mental health center.
People jammed into the Kent County Commission meeting on Tuesday to show support for Upper Shore — and to give a very hard time to Secretary Colmers.
It was pointed out to the secretary that most patients stay at this facility for 30-60 days, which often is time enough to stabilize an illness. At Western Shore facilities the average stay is eight days. Walter Palmer, chairman of Upper Shore, told Colmer, “Just because the hospital is done with them after eight days doesn’t mean they are cured.”
The room erupted with applause.
Commissioner Ron Fithian told Colmers that in Kent County when cuts are necessary leaders try to make those that hurt the fewest number of people. And he said, “What are we as a human race if we can’t take care of those people who can’t take care of themselves.” Again, the room thundered with appreciation.
John, a previous patient at Upper Shore — who said he’d arrived bipolar, suicidal, alcoholic and a narcotics addict — told Colmer: “The Upper Shore saved my life . . .I had the best care available. . .I hope ya’ll can find it in your hearts to reverse this decision.”
At one point Colmers made a remark that indicated an abiding ignorance in Annapolis about resources on the Eastern Shore. Quoth Colmers: “There is already a robust community based out-patient mental health facility on the Eastern Shore.”
Bewildered people in the audience shouted out in unison: “WHERE?
Colmers didn’t answer that.
Mary Wood says
Thank you Spy. I was not able to attend the meeting, and was anxous to have a report. I have been telephoning,writing,emailing. A friend said if State raised Bridge toll 50 cents, it would support the Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center. Closing a functioning,well run hospital seems a strange way to improve the nation’s health system .
Katie Nash says
This is an awesome development. This was after Senator Pipkin appeared before the Board of Public Works yesterday.
Here are the news’ accounts:
Baltimore Sun
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bal-md.cuts17sep17,0,6912678.story
WBAL
https://wbal.com/apps/news/templates/story.aspx?articleid=35753&zoneid=3
steve goldblatt says
Reference was made repeatedly to the overall low number of admissions to Upper Shore as one justification in closing this facility. I believe the statistic used claimed that Upper Shore had only 200 admissions for the year, and that those 200 admissions could be managed in the community. Although that number is correct, it is very decieving. My point is that one patient admitted to Upper Shore could in reality turn into 5 separate admissions to the local ER once Upper Shore is no longer available. So by my estimate,those 200 admissions to Upper Shore translate to 1,000 or more admissions to the nearest Emergency room. The reason is our patients are uninsured/selfpay by nature. When a patient at Upper Shore complains of a toothache, or has a urinary tract infection, it is managed mainly within the hospital. If a primary care office visit is required it will be arranged by appointment. When someone in need of care and without insurance or providers becomes sick they must seek emergency room care. Our patients tend to relapse and return for hospitalization and they also experience co-morbid illness which we treat as well. In the private sector, the overused emergency rooms will be bombarded by our patients once the safety net of Upper Shore is removed. As things stand now,emergency rooms can’t place our patients fast enough. They call us at Upper Shore asking us to take these patients back as quickly as possible. The problem is further compounded by medical complaints that our patients experience as well as psychiatric emergencies. Emergency care is far more costly to the state and to taxpayers and will inevitably lead to greater healthcare costs, not less. I said to my wife half heartedly that the state would spend less if it borrowed the funds from a loan shark to keep Upper Shore going than by relying on the wasteful emergency room method. I suppose the old saying pennywise pound foolish is most appropriate in this case.
Katie Nash says
Sorry for the late notice, but I wanted to tell you to tune in to MPT tonight for State Circle at 7:30 p.m. Senator Pipkin talks about the closure of the Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center.
Watch it! Please forward to your friends ASAP!
Stay involved so we can fight for the Center . . .
Tonya Rider says
I’m thinking we should all continue to call the 800 number to the Governor but change our plan from just saving the Upper Shore to; okay enough is enough we’ve been pulled on a string. It is obvious all the information given to the Governor was false, it is also known the ‘robust’ list of community mental health providers Sec Colmers gave to our commissioners was also full of false information. How long is this going to go on??
Our citizens with mental health issues have enough problems just trying to cope with daily living, and now they are full of anxiety and fustration not knowing where their future stands. Where will they go? How will they get there? You can see it in their eyes and it’s wrong.
Steve Meehan says
I want to thank Governor O’Malley for visiting the USMHC on Saturday and for meeting with mental health advocates in downtown Chestertown. It was fitting that the Governor invited them to join him at an event in his honor at Widehall, the home of Roy Kirby. Roy Kirby has been a major donor to Crossroads Community and an underwriter of Crossroads annual May concert during Mental Health Month. Back when the Governor was Mayor of Baltimore, he contributed his fee to Crossroads and brought his band, O’Malley’s March, to play to a capacity crowd for the benefit of Crossroads Community, still the highest grossing event in the history of the benefit concert.
Despite the disinformation spread by the misinformed (including our blindsided 36th district delegation — demonstrating just how out of touch they are), I am proud to remind the community that Crossroads Community is still alive and functioning and about to celebrate 25 years of serving Kent and Queen Anne’s counties with outpatient and residential rehabilitation services.
Citizens would be surprised to know how little of the State’s budget is discretionary and not already committed by the Legislature and Congress for public education, public safety, and health care for the poor and children. Senator Pipkin and Delegates Smiegel, Walkup and Sossi need to make their Number 1 legislative priority to mandate funding for mental health services through community based rehabilitative services provided by non-profits such as Crossroads Community and Four All Seasons and our local health department clinics.