Uncertainty surrounds closing of Westborough State Hospital

Uncertainty surrounds closing of Westborough State Hospital

(November 2009 Issue)

By Phyllis Hanlon

Six months ago, the Commonwealth broke ground on a new, state-of-the art facility that will replace the existing Westborough and Worcester State Hospitals. Until the doors of the new hospital open early in 2012, the current state hospitals were to continue serving patients. However, the situation has changed in recent weeks and left patients, families and staffers uncertain about the future.

Approximately 190 patients and 450 employees at Westborough State Hospital anticipated three years to make transition plans before the facility ceased operations. According to Kristina Barry of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, those plans have changed. "In April of this year, Executive Office of Health and Human Services Secretary Judy Ann Bigby appointed a 15-member commission to study the state's psychiatric hospital inpatient system and determine its appropriate capacity. The Inpatient Study Commission issued a report in July that contained many recommendations, including the accelerated consolidation of Westborough State Hospital," she says. "These recommendations support the Department of Mental Health's Community First Plan to strengthen and expand its community mental health system and create flexible, recovery-based and person-centered services supporting consumer choice within budget realities."

According to the commission's report, "Prudence and common sense dictated that the Commission first review the timelines around a facility that is already scheduled to close in 2012 and determine if that closure could be expedited. Accelerating the closure of Westborough partially addresses the immediate fiscal issues and provides the Department [of Mental Health] flexibility in the uncertain years ahead."

Additionally, the report set conditions necessary to close the Westborough facility, which include infusing $12 to $14 million in trust fund or economic stimulus dollars to begin deliberately and carefully planning discharge of clinically-ready patients; annualizing funds for the programs that result from the closure and maintaining efforts to ensure current levels of adult public mental health services resources.

While these determinations infer sensitivity to patients, Jon Lubecky, president of the DMH Chapter 509 SEIU (Service Employees International Union), says that financial consideration is driving the decision to close Westborough before the original date. "Money doesn't exist and they are looking for ways to balance the books," he says. "This closure is being done quickly. It's not fair to the patients."

Lubecky notes speedy discharge does not benefit patients. "From what I understand, there is a big push on clinical social workers, psychologists and other professionals to discharge patients as quickly as possible," he says. "Usually patients prefer to have a slow transition instead of being dumped without the proper steps to make the transition successful."

Not only are patients affected by this early closure, but hospital employees are also feeling the impact. Lubecky reports that employees were given an opportunity to accept voluntary retirement, but he did not have specific figures. "Workers need time to prepare for the next chapter in their lives," he says. "It's been very stressful for everyone."

Barry says, "Admissions at Westborough State Hospital began to be triaged to other DMH facilities or community programs beginning in September and it is expected that the last adult patient at Westborough will be discharged/transferred by June 30, 2010."