La. scrambles to fund clinic

• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jul 22, 2009 - Page: 10A

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The Jindal administration has agreed to try to help come up with the financing that will allow a regional mental health emergency center to open at LSU’s Earl K. Long Medical Center in Baton Rouge.

The $29 billion state budget that went into effect July 1 contains no funding to operate the facility that is designed to relieve pressure on area hospital emergency rooms while providing more coordinated care for the individual.

The lead agency in developing the mental health crisis center — the Capital Area Health and Human Services District — did not find out that the funding was not appropriated until LSU announced the center could not open as scheduled because of lack of funding.

“We are working on a potential solution,” state Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine said Tuesday. He said the mental health crisis unit is “a priority for the state, and we need to find a way to make it work.”

CAHSD executive director Jan Kasofsky said she met with the governor’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Waguespack as well as officials the state health agency last week.

“There has been great support,” said Kasofsky.

Kasofsky said her agency is working on a budget and a potential three-way contract among her agency, LSU and DHH involving cost reimbursement for staff salaries.

“Nothing is final but there is much support and action is forthcoming,” she said.

Waguespack was traveling out of state and could not be reached for comment, Gov. Bobby Jindal’s press secretary Kyle Plotkin said. Plotkin referred questions to Levine.

The 24-bed Mental Health Emergency Room Extension unit was recently constructed with federal funds on the LSU hospital’s Airline Highway property.

The unit is part of a 10-step program to address mental health needs in the area. It is designed to provide law enforcement and others a place to take people with mental health problems that have become threatening to themselves or others. Currently, the people are taken to hospital emergency rooms throughout the area and taking up beds that can be used for acute medical problems.

LSU System Vice President Fred Cerise said he has discussed the situation with Levine and Kasofsky in recent days. Efforts are under way to develop a budget using different funding streams, he said. In excess of $1 million in operating funds are needed, he said.

Cerise said a starting point would be identifying money to provide the match for federal uninsured care dollars and uncovered costs. “There’s going to be a need for state funds to make this work,” he said.