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Harrisburg State Hospital Closing
Harrisburg State Hospital Supporters Voice
Pleas for Patients
Thursday, January 13, 2005
BY DAVID WENNER
Of The Patriot-News
Dauphin County officials detailed a shortage of local mental health
services yesterday and voiced skepticism of the state's promise
to sufficiently fund treatment for patients released from Harrisburg
State Hospital.
They said they believe the decision to close the state hospital
is final -- even though the state plans public hearings -- and vowed
to fight for state funding to care for released patients and also
address existing waiting lists.
"The planned closure provides our system with an opportunity,"
said Barry Wyrick, the administrator of mental health and mental
retardation programs in Dauphin County.
Dauphin County commissioners held the special meeting to outline
plans for dealing with the closing, expected to result in 40 patients
discharged into county programs by the end of the year.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for about 20 residents
and advocates to offer views on the closing of Harrisburg State
Hospital, one of nine in Pennsylvania.
Most opposed the closing.
"I kind of feel we've been blind-sided by the state, and I
wonder if that's totally legal," Irene Appleyard said.
Pat Boerger disagreed with the state's contention that most or all
people with mental illness are served better by community programs
than institutions. She said the mentally ill often commit crimes,
kill themselves, hurt others or die young because they don't get
adequate treatment.
"We are underestimating the strength of this illness. There
are people who need a long time to recover," she said. "The
closing of the state hospital is denying the people of Dauphin County
the right to treatment."
Christopher Markley of PinnacleHealth System said there's a shortage
of local beds for people with acute mental illness, and people sometimes
wait in the Harrisburg Hospital emergency rooms for days before
a bed is found. Local patients have been sent as far away as Pittsburgh,
he said.
"We don't think within a one-year time frame the resources
can be in place to meet the needs that will be created by the closing,"
he said.
Sue Mason, a registered nurse at Harrisburg State Hospital, also
cited inadequate community programs for the mentally ill and said,
"It breaks my heart when I see them coming back after being
released" from the state hospital.
But a few speakers favored closing, and said life in the community
is far better than life in the state hospital.
"We can create a wonderful community [for the mentally ill]
in Dauphin County," said Mary Kohut, an advocate for the mentally
ill.
While she expressed sympathy for state hospital employees who would
lose jobs, she said, "Retaining those jobs is no reason to
keep people institutionalized."
Judy Banks, another advocate, disagreed that some of the released
patients will pose threats in communities and called those claims
"scare tactics."
"We can't hide people away. ... We need to support people in
their recovery," she said.
The state expects to stop accepting new patients at the state hospital
in March and to close the facility by the end of the year. It expects
to release 135 of the 266 patients into programs in the seven central
Pennsylvania counties served by the hospital, and transfer the rest
to state hospitals in Danville and Wernersville.
Wyrick, the Dauphin County administrator, said it's more likely
the final closing won't occur until the middle of next year.
In 2005-2006, it will cost $14 million to care for the released
patients and address existing shortages of services, he said.
He said the closing will require the county to create or expand
services including an intensive treatment facility, supported living
programs, a facility for mentally ill people who have committed
crimes, case management, transportation and medications.
Commissioner Jeff Haste said he's especially concerned about the
number of Dauphin County Prison inmates who are mentally ill and
don't belong in jail. He said they haven't been "fortunate
enough" to be admitted to the state hospital, and he wondered
where funding to treat them will come from, because they aren't
counted among the mentally ill.
Addressing the future use of the hospital site, Commissioner George
Hartwick III said commissioners will push for the "highest
and best use."
DAVID WENNER: 255-8172 or dwenner@patriot-news.com
Copyright 2005 PennLive.com.
All Rights Reserved.
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