DPH demands response before UMass Memorial bed closures

Grant Welker UMass Memorial Health Care says it can meet the region's behavioral health needs without the 13 beds it plans to close, but Mass DPH is concerned that it won't be able to.

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By Laura Finaldi

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a no comment from UMass Memorial.

Saying it was deeply concerned how a plan to close 13 psychiatric beds would affect access to mental health services in Central Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said UMass Memorial Health Care should reconsider its plans to close the beds June 1.

In a letter dated Monday, Stephen Davis, licensure unit manager at DPH, said UMass Memorial’s plans to maintain access to behavioral health services after the bed closures -- as laid out for the Department in an April 28 letter -- would not sufficiently meet the needs of behavioral health patients, since a lot of the alternatives proposed by UMass Memorial are either too far away or not up and running yet.

UMass Memorial failed to provide enough information about mental health services available at proposed alternative sites, the letter said.

“As the existing beds at the Medical Center treat patients with both psychiatric and medical needs, the Department is deeply concerned that the lack of information on diagnoses accepted at alternate sites and the potential inability of those alternate sites to accept some patients from the Medical Center will delay the transfer of these patients to a facility that can meet their needs,” Davis wrote.

UMass Memorial was given 10 days to respond to Monday's letter.

A spokesman for UMass Memorial said the nonprofit health care system has no comment.

Since it announced plans to close the beds in its 8 East Unit in February, the health care system has received backlash from several organizations, including the Massachusetts Nurses Association and the Worcester City Council. The hospital has maintained it needs to convert the beds for medical and surgical use, and that there is enough psychiatric care available nearby to serve patients who need mental health care.

On April 17, DPH issued a letter to UMass Memorial saying the beds were essential and ordered the health care system to provide a more detailed plan for closure.

UMass Memorial’s April 28 reponse letter to DPH proposed four alternative sites patients can go to for treatment, including TaraVista Behavioral Health Center in Devens, Harrington Hospital in Southbridge, Saint Vincent Hospital and the Westborough Behavioral Healthcare Hospital. But Westborough hasn’t been constructed yet, and Saint Vincent hasn’t discussed plans to open new beds with the Department of Mental Health, according to the DPH letter.

Transportation to alternative sites is another complicating factor. UMass Memorial said it would operate a temporary shuttle from its University Campus to TaraVista two days per week, but DPH said twice a week isn’t enough and requested that UMass Memorial update its transportation plan in a response letter.