Officials: N.C. mental health patients can still get care

Despite recent upheaval that led to Albemarle Mental Health Center's divesting its clinics, firing its director, then turning over its operation to the state, mental health officials say, patients will not be left without help.

"Certainly, we don't want to abandon patient care," said Sandra Jordan, the center's Local Management Entity coordinator.

The 23-hour crisis center at Albemarle Hospital will remain open, she said, as will most local offices. Clients who call Albemarle are referred to Jordan's office for referrals.

Jordan said a needs assessment will determine which private providers are available to care for about 3,000 clients the center had served in Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Hyde, Martin, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Tyrrell and Washington counties.

"Right now, we're just trying to establish more providers," she said. "It may even be a provider operating out of our facility, so the consumers don't see any change."

At the board's request Jan. 14, the state Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services agreed to take over the management and finances of the center.

"Our goal is get Albemarle back up on sound footing," Leza Wainwright, the division's director, said.

"We would turn it back over to the counties."

With the state in charge now, Wainwright said, changes have been halted and critical staff are being encouraged to stay until everyone has a handle on the situation.

"We are trying to hang on to those very difficult-to-recruit staff, particularly psychiatrists," she said.

Despite promises of work, doctors have been reluctant to stick with Albemarle.

"We had asked seven physicians and one physician's assistant to stay," Wainwright said Thursday. "I'm afraid not all of them are going to stay, even though we guaranteed them employment."

One doctor told the division on Thursday that she was leaving, Wainwright said. Another is expected to leave by week's end, and others have indicated that they're not planning to stay.

So far, Wainwright said, only two physicians and one physician's assistant have committed to stay.

"We will work very hard to recruit replacements," the director said. She said the state will hire temporary doctors for now.

Rather than be a service provider, the center is transitioning to a managed care entity, which is meant to give the consumer more choices and more services.

After the board of directors was unexpectedly informed late last year that the center was broke, it announced on Jan. 2 that it had to divest its direct services for mental health, developmental disability and substance abuse. About 80 staff members were cut, and longtime director Charles Franklin was fired.

A number of private providers have yet to be paid for services rendered, but Jordan said it is not known how much is owed and when it can be paid.

At a meeting last week, the division promised to provide regular updates to county officials. The first update is expected to be sent today.

Wainwright said the state needed to step in because the speed with which the center scaled back made it difficult to fill the huge gaps in care fast enough.

Never before has the state had to take over a local management entity "hook, line and sinker," she said.

The appointment of Tom McDevitt as on-site administrator to replace Franklin was withdrawn Jan. 23 over controversy about his previous position.

Wainwright said it was decided that questions about McDevitt undermined the division's primary need to "rebuild trust."

It is hoped that a replacement will be announced next week, she said Thursday.

Co-administrator Phillip Hoffman, whose expertise is in finance, will stay, she said.

Whether there's money to get the center on its feet is unknown. "But what is encouraging is there's still $7.2 million sitting in the budget that has not been drawn down," she said.

Why the FY2008-09 funds were not used is "the other big mystery to this," Wainwright said.

Cate Kozak, (252) 441-1711, cate.kozak@pilotonline.com