GREENFIELD — Sean Donovan recalled the few times he had been admitted into a hospital’s psychiatric unit. He wasn’t the biggest fan of it. It can be too restrictive and even abusive at times.
While the institution of mental health units may not be ideal to Donovan, an active member of the Western Mass. Recovery Learning Community that is funded by the state Department of Mental Health, notes how much people value community health psych units to exclusively behavioral health hospitals.
“People want to go to East Spoke or Noble because they felt they would be seen,” Donovan told a packed house at a public forum the Massachusetts Nurses Association held in the Episcopal Church of Saint James and Andrew Thursday.
About 50 people filled the church hall, including elected state officials Rep. Paul Mark, D-Peru, and Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, D-Northampton. Many, if not all, were there to protest the proposed closure of Baystate Franklin Medical Center’s 22-bed psych unit, known as “East Spoke,” as well as similar wards in Baystate Noble in Westfield and Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer.
Baystate Health plans to open a behavioral health hospital with 120 beds at the site of the Geriatric Authority in Holyoke in about two years.
Mark told the crowd that this all has reminded him of the sudden and “illegal” closing of the hospital in North Adams in recent years.
“It completely changed the dynamics of health care in that community,” Mark said.
The nurses union, led by pysch nurse Donna Stern, called for the community to publicly protest these proposed changes. She hopes for pressure from the state Legislature and a push for public hearings from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Others in the crowd called for taking a protest down to Holyoke and its City Hall, where Mayor Alex Morse has endorsed this proposal as a good use of a vacant building that will help build the tax base and service the community in that city.
“This is not the first time the MNA has gone to war,” Stern said. “Believe me, this is going to be a war.”
Stern, in her opening remarks, vocalized a point that was a common thread through the night: accountability of Baystate Health officials.
“We invited Baystate executives to be here tonight to begin answering those hard questions because you need to be held accountable,” Stern said.
Baystate Health officials were not present, but did release to the media a series of statements Thursday afternoon prior to the public forum.
“The joint venture is in its early stages of planning, things are still developing, and while answers to all potential questions are not known at this time, we share this information and will continue to do so as we can, as we further our commitment to serve our community and address the increasing needs for care for individuals facing behavioral health and substance use challenges,” the Baystate Health release states.
Baystate Health President and CEO Mark Keroack said in his statement: “The increasing needs of our community facing behavioral health and substance use challenges prompted Baystate Health to explore new pathways to improve access, quality and safe patient care.”
There were several questions about transportation for people to Holyoke signaling broader questions of accessibility.
In the prepared statements, Baystate said the location in Holyoke was selected in part because it is “centrally located with consideration of access to public transportation.” The organization notes its proximity to Interstate 91 and the Massachusetts Turnpike.
“The transportation needs of our community members will be reviewed by the joint venture with consideration of options for access and resources,” the statement reads.
Others pointed to the business of the move. The for-profit organization US HealthVest will run the behavioral health hospital for the non-profit Baystate Health.
Precinct 2 City Councilor Mark Berson, an attorney for Baystate Franklin for three decades, said the best way to protest the proposed change is by not using their services and taking their health needs elsewhere — essentially a boycott.
The hospital said the behavioral health hospital will take public and private insurances. It did not say whether people without insurance will be accepted, like a non-profit is obligated to do.
Baystate said the 22-bed East Spoke averaged 13 patients a day in the last budget year, which contributed to its decision.