Check out this heart breaking story about the failure of our mental health system in Northern Worcester County for a family in Fitchburg. There is a direct link between this story and the closure of a 16 bed psych unit at Burbank Hospital a few years back by UMass Health Alliance, a service no longer available to this region and family, and the most recent decision to cut staffing in the emergency department at Leominster Hospital. How dare UMass Health Alliance’s Paul McKinnon, who is quoted in this article, talk about what is needed to care for these suffering patients, when he and his employer, UMass Health Alliance, has contributed to the degradation in the level of care that is causing this suffering.
Mental health services, as well as a wide variety of other hospital-based services, are also under attack at Leominster Hospital. A reduction in nursing staff there and the reoganization of patinet care services are dangers and are being challenged by teh community. Join those brave folks at an October 30 community forum (6-8 p.m.) at the Leominster Veterans Center located at 100 West Street. Make a difference in the life of a patient and join the forum.
www.telegram.com/article/20141020/NEWS/310199602/1101/local
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