No rooms at hospital for mentally ill

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050918/NEWS01/509180331/1006

More than a week after Desert Regional Medical Center's announcement that by Sept. 30 it will end most of its services to the mentally ill, many in the Coachella Valley are still reeling and wondering what can be done.

For the past 25 years, the inpatient and outpatient programs the Palm Springs hospital plans to shut down have served more than just valley residents. Those living as far away as Blythe, Banning and Imperial County also have benefited.

Earlier this month, the hospital, which is owned by Tenet California, the state's largest hospital system, announced it would convert its psychiatric beds into medical/surgical beds - effectively disbanding its psychiatric department.

Kathi Sankey-Robinson, a spokeswoman for Desert Regional, said administrators believe the decision is in line with the needs of the Coachella Valley's growing population.

[kestrel91316]

1. That's ok. They can just live on the street with the other mentally ill

of Southern California.

At least the rich got their tax cuts and the fags can't marry.

:sarcasm:

[Erika]

2. The fruition of Reagan's plans

toss the non-productive out and let them die. If they can't enhance corporate profits, they are worthless.

I am so angry. And to think a Kennedy is involved.

[starroute]

3. Is this the same Tenet that's in trouble in New Orleans?

Sure looks like.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tenet17sep17,0,102287.story?coll=la-home-business

Tenet Healthcare Corp. had been struggling for more than two years to overcome financial, legal and image problems — including allegations of unnecessary heart surgeries at a Redding hospital.

Then Hurricane Katrina hit.

The national hospital chain, which hasn't reported a profit in nearly three years, had six hospitals in the region with $600 million in annual revenue. All of them, damaged by the high winds and water, were closed or taken over by local authorities to house rescue workers.

<snip>

Analysts say the company, which moved its headquarters from Santa Barbara to Dallas last year, faces storm-related losses of at least $75 million. That doesn't include costs such as payroll and relocation expenses for 5,500 displaced workers.

But the hardest blow to overcome may be the public relations hit that came with discovery of 45 bodies at the company's Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans. Although they're working hard to tell Tenet's side of the story, saying hospital workers went far beyond the call of duty to save patients, executives acknowledge that the body-count headlines are the last thing the company needs.

[Erika]

4. Maybe the truth about private hospitals will come out