Finding bed space for indigent clients concerns officials

The board dedicates up to 300,000 a year for hospital bed space for indigent mentally ill clients.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The uncertain future of Forum Health has the Mahoning County Mental Health Board concerned about how to replace bed space for indigent clients at Northside Medical Center, should that facility be sold or closed.
Forum Health, in the midst of a financial turnaround effort, recently said it plans to close Tod Children's Hospital, housed in Northside. Before that, the hospital system gave over operation of its behavioral medicine unit at Northside to an outside firm.
Just this week, Forum hired a New York City company, Cain Brothers, which specializes in evaluating and marketing health care facilities.
These actions and others by Forum led Ronald Marian, mental health board executive director, to alert his board Thursday to the possible need to find beds elsewhere for its indigent clients.
At present, the mental health board pays up to 150,000 a year each to Forum Health and St. Elizabeth Health Center for beds in their behavioral medicine units. There are 14 beds at Northside, down from 25 because of a lack of psychiatrists; and 23 at St. Elizabeth, with another six available if needed, Marian said.
Money for the beds comes primarily from state funds given to the mental health board to buy bed space in area hospitals for clients who formerly received treatment at Woodside Hospital, which was closed in the late 1990s, Marian said.
Seeking help
In other action, the board approved seeking the assistance of the county prosecutor's office to help get Lincoln Behavior Healthcare to either buy or leave board property at 880 E. Indianola Ave.
Three years ago, Marian said the board authorized Lincoln Behavior to occupy the site so it would not be left empty, with the understanding that Lincoln Behavior would buy the property for 270,000 within a reasonable amount of time. Marian said he has met several times with Lincoln Behavior officials and the situation has not been resolved.
"We've gone far enough. It is now up to us to make a move," Marian said, in recommending that the board seek the help of the prosecutor.
alcorn@vindy.com