By Hector Flores
The Berger Report stated that the NUMC should downsize by 101 beds and revise its bed configuration across service lines. It also said, "A. Holly Patterson should downsize by approximately 589 nursing home beds and transfer its subacute services to NUMC and A. Holly Patterson should also rebuild a smaller facility on its existing campus and add assisted living and possibly other non-institutional services."
The state Legislature is expected to vote on the recommendations this month.
The Berger Commission was appointed to develop recommendations for reconfiguring the state's general hospital and nursing home bed supply to best meet residents' needs. Its recommendations encompass changes throughout the state's health care delivery services, and must be accepted or rejected in total by the Legislature.
Shelly Lotenberg, spokeswoman for the NHCC, said, "For us it represents good news, and the report is in line with our strategy for the corporation. The Berger Commission recomendation is the direction we had embraced and represents an endorsement of our voluntary efforts to rightsize and restructure our facilities."
Arthur Gianelli, president and CEO of NHCC, said the state has recently awarded the corporation a $24 million grant, which it will use to redesign and consolidate the hospital and the senior center. "These funds will support our modernization program and will be used to consolidate inpatient units at NUMC," he said.
The Berger Report stated, "It is recommended that NUMC downsize its certified capacity of 631 to 530 certified beds, to be comprised of 173 medical/surgical, 26 pediatric, 30 obstetrics, 25 physical medicine rehabilitation, 120 psychiatry, 13 child psychiatry, 20 alcohol detoxification, 30 substance abuse rehabilitation, 10 burn care, 33 intensive care, 6 pediatric intensive care, 28 NICU, and 16 prison health beds. This represents a downsizing of 133 medical/surgical, 20 pediatric, 6 obstetrics, 5 physical medicine/rehabilitation, and 10 NICU beds, together with an addition of 30 psychiatry, 13 child psychiatry, and 30 substance abuse rehabilitation beds, provided that the Commissioner of Mental Health and the Commissioner of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services approve such additions."
On the Patterson facility, the report recommended that the AHP "...transfer its sub-acute services to the empty floors of the NUMC, provided that such sub-acute services continue to be operated by AHP. It is further recommended that AHP rebuild a smaller facility on its existing campus, and add a 150-bed ALP and possibly other non-institutional services."
