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PBC commissioners to state lawmakers: 'We need your help' to address closed mental health hospital

Palm Beach Post - 11/1/2019

Palm Beach County commissioners are asking state lawmakers to help deal with the aftermath of a shuttered mental health hospital in West Palm Beach.

"We are at a crisis and we need your help. Currently, we're asking if you all could get involved," Commissioner Gregg Weiss said Thursday during a legislative delegation workshop at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens west of Delray Beach.

The Jerome Golden Center for Behavioral Health's financial turmoil became public when it filed for bankruptcy protection last month. This led the nonprofit center to parse its programs to other providers, close its 44-bed hospital and, eventually, withdraw the bankruptcy filing in order to sell its properties.

The center served low-income and uninsured clients, and was the county's only standalone psychiatric hospital.

Commissioners last week questioned Ann Berner, head of the health network that oversees the Golden Center. Berner publicly blamed the hospital's downfall on Chief Executive Officer Linda De Piano and the board of directors.

On Thursday, County Mayor Mack Bernard and Commissioner Melissa McKinlay both said they believed Berner was somewhat responsible for the Golden Center's collapse.

"I have no confidence in her," Bernard said.

Weiss asked his colleagues not to get caught up in finger-pointing, but rather see how the state -- like the Florida Agency on Health Care Administration, or AHCA -- can aid in the response.

"We can deal with what's happening over there in terms of their leadership, but we need AHCA to step in ... so that we can have an opportunity to fix this, or at least they can have an opportunity to fix this," he said.

McKinlay also wrote a letter to Florida first lady Casey DeSantis on October 23 seeking help to "ensure that a situation like this does not happen again anywhere in Florida." DeSantis started the "Hope for Healing Florida" campaign earlier this year to address mental health and substance abuse.

"We really need you at the table," said McKinlay, who has not received a response from DeSantis. "If you have any sway in governor's office or first lady's office, I would hope that you would reach out to them and encourage her to be part of that conversation and to join us in trying to find a solution, since this seems to be her real passion."

Nearly all of Palm Beach County's 13-person legislative delegation was present at the workshop, where priorities such as water, housing and public safety were also discussed.

"We're going to be at a crisis level with people who need those services pretty soon," said state Sen. Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach.

State Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach, said the four state senators who represent Palm Beach County discussed setting up a meeting with AHCA in Tallahassee.

"We do want to be proactive about that issue and we're happy to work with you all about that," Berman said.

hmorse@pbpost.com

@mannahhorse

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