The opening
of a new 120-bed inpatient behavioral health hospital on Faunce Corner
Road in Dartmouth, built by Acadia
Healthcare, required the approval of the transfer of thirty inpatient
beds from the Rogers Unit at St.
Luke’s Hospital. Part of the process included a required a public
comment opportunity before officials of the Massachusetts
Department of Public Health licensing division. Sherman Lohnes,
Director of the Division of Health Care Facility Licensure and
Certification was joined by Lisa Llamas, Director of Nursing Licensing for
the MA Dept. of
Mental Health, to receive input at the McBratney Auditorium at St.
Luke's Hospital in New Bedford on August 28, 2015. Eleven proponents of
the move appeared to testify as to their support of the move, and a letter
from Dr. Douglas Muncie, Medical Director of Southcoast Behavior Health,
was also read into the record. "The transfer of beds from the Rogers Unit at St.
Luke’s Hospital and the opening of the Southcoast/Acadia facility should
substantially improve the availability of hospital services, thus reducing
the need to transport patients long distances for treatment," stated
Partners Executive Director Dr. David Weed. " It
is our hope that these additional services, when combined with increased
hospital beds, will finally address the longstanding shortage of treatment
resources for the Greater Fall River Area as well as the Southeast
Region," he added.
.Click
here for a 50-minute 
video of the entire session. For more information, contact Kerry
Mello, Southcoast Health Community Benefits Manager, at
774-328-2156. |
