Dear Commissioner Ann Sullivan, Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez and Commissioner Howard Zucker:
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an alarming spike in mental health and substance abuse issues in Ulster County. Now more than ever, we must bolster our behavioral health services and resources. That is why we, the undersigned residents of Ulster County and the wider region, are calling on the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) to deny any application(s) submitted by Westchester Medical Center Health Network requesting decertification of inpatient beds licensed to provide behavioral health (mental health and substance use) stabilization and treatment to Ulster County residents at Health Alliance Hospital.
We further request that the New York State Department of Health suspend approval for Health Alliance’s Mary’s Avenue Building Project pending further review of the Certificate of Need application. Approval of Westchester Medical Center Health Network/Health Alliance’s Certificate of Need application was predicated on the inclusion of existing behavioral health inpatient services in the new building. The absence of these services through the closure of the inpatient beds should necessitate resubmission of the application, as this is a significant change with serious negative impacts on public health.
In early April of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, HealthAlliance shut down 40 inpatient mental health beds and 20 beds dedicated to chemical dependency and detoxification to make room for a potential regional COVID-19 specialized care center. We were assured at the time that this would be a temporary move and that there was a well-conceived plan to ensure our community continued to receive vital behavioral-health services.
Today, over a year later, it’s clear that this promise has been broken. Permanently closing these inpatient beds, especially in the middle of a surging opioid and mental-health crisis precipitated by a once-in-a-century pandemic, is completely unacceptable and will only compound the tragic surge we’re already experiencing. This destructive move comes after HealthAlliance received commitments for over $90 million in taxpayer-funded support for capital projects.
We fervently reject the removal of these services and we are calling on the New York State OMH and OASAS to deny this waiver and insist that Westchester Medical Center Health Network
immediately return these mental health and addiction services and live up to its stated commitment to ensuring our community’s health and safety.
Sincerely,
Patrick K. Ryan
Ulster County Executive