Worcester hospital faces backlash against plan to close psychiatric beds
The number seems small: just 13 psychiatric beds out of nearly 2,750 in the state.
But a plan by UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester to convert those beds for medical and surgical care has generated deep concerns from the state and stiff opposition from nurses, mental health advocates, and elected officials.
Officials at the state Department of Public Health said Monday that UMass Memorial’s plan “does not adequately meet the needs of the patients in the community” and asked the hospital to delay.
The dispute centers on a difficult tradeoff — either answer the growing demand for mental health services or the need to treat other patients.
Read more: http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2017/05/08/worcester-hospital-faces-backlash-against-plan-close-psychiatric-beds/bDeXBIquwBO4IECov8K7uI/story.html