Thanks to the community leaders with us today who share my very serious concerns over the proposed mental hygiene and developmental disabilities

Transcription

1 Welcome!

2 Thanks to the community leaders with us today who share my very serious concerns over the proposed mental hygiene and developmental disabilities closures.

3 Mary Jo Thorn ACHIEVE Cliff Crouch Member of Assembly Rich David City of Binghamton Mayor-Elect Debra Preston -- Broome County Executive John Bernardo -- Deputy Broome County Executive Jerry Marinich -- Chairman, Broome County Legislature Aaron Martin -- Clerk, Broome County Legislature Art Johnson -- Broome County Mental Health Major Mark Smolinsky Broome County Sheriff s Office Ruth Roberts -- Chenango County Mental Hygiene Services Jon Englert, Rick Noreault -- Civil Service Employees Association Undersheriff Craig DuMond Delaware County Sheriff s Office Lou Santoni, Stacy Duncan -- Greater Binghamton Chamber Jeff Davis -- JKD Consulting David Patak -- Lourdes Hospital Jim Moffit, Deb Lombardo, Tim Nannery -- Public Employees Federation Marte Sauerbrey -- Tioga County Legislature Lori Monk -- Tioga County Mental Hygiene Gary Howard -- Tioga County Sheriff Dr. Leslie Major -- United Health Services Alan Wilmarth -- United Health Services

4 OMH proposed closing the Greater Binghamton Health Center on July 8 with implementation starting next July. About 90 vulnerable adult inpatients will be affected as well as about 15 child or adolescent inpatients. OPWDD then proposed closing the Broome Developmental Center on July 26. About 70 frail inpatients will be affected as well as about 60 forensic inpatients. Over 1,000 State employees will be affected at these two facilities alone. Over 6,700 concerned residents have signed petitions on my main website to stop these closures.

5 The State submits that the Olmstead decision by the U.S. Supreme Court requires it to shut all inpatient facilities. The State also submits that the federal Department of Health and Human Services, that regulates Medicaid, also requires us to shut all inpatient facilities. The State argues that these closures will save money. Finally, the State claims that these closures won t affect State employees.

6 The majority opinion in Olmstead clearly states: We emphasize that nothing in the ADA or its implementing regulations condones termination of institutional settings for persons unable to handle or benefit from community settings. Congressman Richard Hanna has written HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on September 17 to see if her agency really is mandating these closures. So far no reply. It s not at all clear that providing care in distant locations or smaller settings will save the State any money. But it s quite clear that these changes will cost our local governments and health care providers millions of dollars. Many State employees will be forced to move away from our region to hold onto their jobs.

7 The State s proposed closures couldn t come at a worse time. Our hospitals, like United Health Services, already subsidize inpatient mental health services. Earlier this year, federal Sequestration cuts shrunk some Medicare payments by 2%. Now our hospitals are facing serious new cuts to Medicare that were made to finance universal coverage under the Affordable Care Act. These changes have already stretched our health care system to the breaking point.

8 About 90 vulnerable adult inpatients at GBHC right now would be moved to Syracuse. So that means about 180 people annually. About 15 child or adolescent inpatients at GBHC currently would be moved to Utica. So that means about 180 children or adolescents would annually be treated in Utica instead of Binghamton. It will be very difficult for local consumers to access these far-away beds. That means demand for inpatient beds at UHS will explode, emergency rooms at Binghamton General, Wilson and Lourdes will become much more crowded, and County Jails will see even more recently-arrested inmates with mental health issues.

9 About 70 vulnerable adult inpatients will be moved into community settings operated by non-profits rather than the State. About 60 dangerous forensic inpatients will also be moved into community settings including 15 registered sex offenders. It will be very difficult for the vulnerable adult inpatients to enjoy the same level of services that they currently receive. And many of the forensic inpatients will re-offend by sexually abusing innocent children, committing serial acts of arson, or engaging in other dangerous behavior.

10 Many State programs need to face change. But these mental hygiene changes are coming way too fast and at the worst time. Some should never happen. Others should happen much more slowly. So I ve introduced the Freeze Unsafe Closures Now Act. It requires the State to suspend its proposed closures at least until April 1, The Senate will likely take it up in January when Session reconvenes.

11 Thanks for attending.