By Mark Scheer<br><a href="mailto:scheerm@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Mark</a>
Greater Niagara Newspapers
May 02, 2008 11:10 pm
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The Board of Directors for Lockport Memorial Hospital has taken a procedural step toward becoming Niagara County’s new provider of psychiatric services for young people.
LMH board members have agreed to seek authorization from the state Department of Health and Office of Mental Health to operate a new unit that would offer services similar to those previously available at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center’s Bridges Child and Adolescent Behavioral unit.
Susan Wendler, director of community relations for LMH, confirmed that the hospital board is indeed interested in continuing to pursue the concept of becoming the county’s new primary care provider for children dealing with mental illness. She also cautioned that the board’s decision is a preliminary step in the process of obtaining the necessary state approvals to move forward with the project.
“LMH continues to pursue the necessary steps in the evaluation and approval processes recognizing the importance and community need for this service in Niagara County,” Wendler said. “This is the next step in the finalization of discussions with the Department of Health to confirm program details and financial feasibility.”
State health officials encouraged representatives from LMH to consider the move after members of the board at NFMMC decided voted in favor of closing the Bridges unit due to financial concerns. Bridges, which had its formal closure date on Friday, has long been the county’s lone provider of psychiatric care for children in both Niagara and Orleans counties. Memorial’s Chief Executive Officer Joseph Ruffolo said the unit is now expected to stay open for another week. The unit stopped accepting new patients on Thursday.
Sheila Kee, associate commissioner for the state Health Department in Western New York, who spoke Friday in Niagara Falls about a new insurance enrollment program at NFMMC, said the process could take several months to secure all the necessary state approvals to allow Lockport hospital to enter into the child psychiatric care business.
In the meantime, she said, children and adolescents in need of behavioral health services in Niagara County will be directed to Erie County Medical Center and Buffalo’s Brylin Hospital ,as outlined in written agreements with both facilities that were put in place by Niagara Falls Memorial as part of its state-approved closure plan for the unit.
“Niagara Falls Memorial has done a very good job of working with us,” she said.
Contact reporter Mark Scheer at 282-2311, ext. 2250.L
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