Panel: Mental hospital plan needs public review

Members of Gov. Sonny Perdue’s mental health commission Tuesday demanded more public discussion of a state plan to privatize some of Georgia’s troubled psychiatric hospitals and close others.

State officials have developed the hospital reorganization proposal largely behind the scenes with little, if any, public scrutiny. And the plan appears to be on the fast track, with a request for proposals from potential bidders expected soon.

Commission members, who have worked for a year on developing recommendations for mental health reforms, voiced frustration about lack of information about the privatization and consolidation plan.

“I’m kind of wondering where we’re going,” said state Rep. Mike Keown (R-Coolidge), who represents a district containing the state mental hospital in Thomasville. “I have constituents who want to know what’s going on.”

Southwestern State Hospital in Thomasville could be one of four facilities to close by 2012, according to public records obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The state’s privatization proposal also includes turning over one of its seven hospitals, possibly the Atlanta facility, to a for-profit company by next year. It could soon put sections of other hospitals in private hands.

A recent article in the Journal-Constitution outlined the state’s proposal and described the spotty record of psychiatric hospital privatization in three states that Georgia is studying: North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Florida.

“I think it’s important to get our information from places other than the AJC,” Keown added.

Officials with the Department of Human Resources, which oversees mental health, could not be reached for comment by late Tuesday.

Privatization is among a whirlwind of changes engulfing the public mental health system. Because of the state’s looming deficit, DHR has imposed budget cuts of 6 percent.

Commission member Julie Spores said budget reductions undermine the panel’s effort to develop mental health reforms.

“How are we going to have money for [community services] when we continue to make cuts?” said Spores, board president of the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network, an advocacy group.

Recently, Perdue announced a sweeping reorganization of state social services that would include a new agency dedicated to mental health care. Three new agencies would split the work now performed by the DHR and another state agency, the Department of Community Health.

The state still must address the U.S. Department of Justice’s report on dangerous conditions in the Atlanta hospital, where the commission hearing was held Tuesday.

Federal authorities say overcrowding, understaffing and poor medical care have caused Georgia Regional Hospital/Atlanta to violate patients’ civil rights, and they have threatened legal action to force sweeping corrections.

Justice launched its investigation of Georgia mental hospitals after the Journal-Constitution reported on widespread neglect and abuse in the state facilities —- conditions that contributed to at least 136 deaths from 2002 through late 2007.

Stan Jones, an attorney and commission member, said the panel should have the opportunity to review any major changes contemplated by state officials.

“Discussion on privatization needs to be public,” Jones said.

Rep. Judy Manning (R-Marietta) said, “We need a pretty open briefing on what’s being talked about.”

She added, “I didn’t know it was so fast coming.”

The commission’s chairman, Abel Ortiz, replied that privatization would be discussed at the panel’s next meeting. And when asked about the Justice Department investigation, he said, “We are at a very early stage of negotiation.”

ON THE WEB

A yearlong series, by staff writers Alan Judd and Andy Miller, has reported on dangerous conditions in the seven state hospitals. The articles led to an investigation of the hospitals by the U.S. Justice Department, which is continuing. Also, a commission created by Gov. Sonny Perdue has studied proposals to overhaul the state’s mental health care system.

To read the entire series, go to www.ajc.com/hiddenshame.