Flashpoint
A Local Case Study: Mental health community services are often discontinuous, depending on the level of local support in providing a full range of services. In DeKalb County, the Ben Gordon Center provides a comprehensive range of outpatient services. Kishwaukee Community Hospital in the past has provided inpatient psychiatric care on a short–term basis, usually in cases where a person might immediately cause harm to himself (herself) or others.
Historically, then–KCH quickly transferred patients to Singer (Rockford) or to other equally crowded facilities in Northern Illinois, hours away from the DeKalb– Sycamore area. Note: Singer as well as other inpatient mental health care facilities in the State of Illinois were closed down by former Governor Quinn as a “cost–saving” measure several years before he left office (defeated in 2014 by then new–Governor Rauner). Governor Rauner never really weighed in on the issue. As of now–in 2022 Governor J.B. Pritzker seems not to have made reopening new mental health facilities a priority.
In 2009, KCH petitioned the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board (IHFPB) for the right to discontinue the 6–bed unit at the new hospital, stating that it was not utilized at all, and that it was very expensive for them to maintain space and staff. At public forums during 2009, impassioned local residents and service professionals argued for the retention of the beds. Since late 2008, staff had actually been instructed that
there were to be NO admissions to the MH unit. As of late 2009, it appeared as though there had been several admissions to the unit.
It is unclear as to what kind of signal this was supposed to send to the larger community. Did this signal that KCH intended on withdrawing its request to phase out the MH beds? Or was it just a temporary olive branch to the community intended to stifle adverse publicity—purely a public relations gimmick? KCH turned the space intended for mental health beds into a Cardiac Catheterization Unit (shown to be a huge money–making center wherever it’s been installed).
Although a report from the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board was supposed to be released and available online July 1, 2009, and a decision on the matter considered at the July 15–16 Board meeting, nothing was done until the September IHFPB meeting. A political shakeup at the IHFPB just then caused the firing of Jeffrey Mark, Executive Secretary, and other key employees. The July meeting of the Board
was canceled, and all real activity on the KCH bed closing was put off until September. The unit was officially closed on October 26, 2009. KCH Systems was acquired by NW Medicine in December 2015.
Follow the directions below to complete this 10–point exercise! Review directions for how to post your responses by referring to previous Flashpoint Exercises.
Answer the questions below
1. Read additional news article in “Weekly Assignments, Week 10,” for background information on our local problem. Why would it be important to retain these acute care mental health beds at the local level? Or does it really matter?
2. Using the information you read above, respond to the following scenario, in no less than 8–10 sentences for your initial post/answers to all the questions: use this in answering 2a,2b, 2c next page. The questions (2a, 2b, 2c) you need to answer follow on page 2…
Scenario: Your 17–year–old sister has recently been stabilized on several new drugs which have been prescribed through a psychiatrist at Ben Gordon Center, where she is an outpatient. Early on in her life, she was diagnosed with a moderate form of autism, in addition to several other mental conditions which occasionally manifest themselves in violent behavior. Although the new medications appeared to be working, your sister hasn’t taken her meds for several days, and now is behaving in an irrational manner. You fear that she may be suicidal. Your 50–year–old parents are unable to cope with this latest round of your sister’s problems, so it is up to YOU to find appropriate treatment for your sister.
These are your additional questions to answer for your “Part 1”:
2a. Who would you call to find immediate help?
2b. Could you try to use KCH–, based on what you learned by reading the background and Activists Statements (PDF listed for reading along with this attachment)?
2c. Do you think that it’s necessary to have a comprehensive system to deal with problems like this? Should it be the responsibility of the community to provide it?
Should a local hospital like KCH be required to provide short–term inpatient MH behavioral services even though it is very unprofitable (think millions a year to maintain the unit)? Why?
A psychiatrist must admit patients to the MH unit.—should KCH be required to retain a staffed MH behavioral unit, even though there isn’t a psychiatrist in DeKalb County (other than those at the Ben Gordon Center) that will take Medicaid (a frequent source of payment for the MH inpatient unit in years past)?
