Alberta Health Services defends 20 bed closures at Alberta Hospital
Alberta Health Services is defending its decision to close a 20-bed unit at Alberta Hospital Edmonton in spite of a scathing letter from psychiatrists who describe the move as "disastrous."
A group of psychiatrists from the hospital, which provides mental health services, wrote an open letter to Health Minister Sarah Hoffman on March 17, pleading with her to reconsider the decision.
But the decision will stand, said Mark Snaterse, executive director for addiction and mental health for AHS.
The closures at Alberta Hospital will help fund the opening of many more specialized beds, he said.
"The number of beds that we're opening and the services we're expanding are going to far outweigh what we needed to close to make that happen," Snaterse said.
The closure of the Alternate Level of Care unit, a program for mentally ill patients who may also be homeless and fighting addictions, is scheduled to happen on April 10.
The savings from the program's closure will allow AHS to open 37 new specialized mental health beds of various kinds in Edmonton, with more being promised.
Snaterse said it's hard for the staff at Alberta Hospital not to see the move as a loss. But he said there will be no job losses and patients will be better served in the long run.
"When someone doesn't need to be in hospital anymore then we shouldn't keep them in hospital, and if somebody is [in] what we call alternate level of care then what we're saying is that person is well enough to be in the community," he said.
He noted 15 new beds for such patients will be available in the community next month. The beds, called community transition beds, will open in three Edmonton transitional homes. Health professionals will provide in-home supports.
20 staff at Alberta Hospital to be reassigned
Twenty-two other new beds have either already opened or are coming onstream at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, with six more being added there in the coming months.
Mark Smith, seniors housing and mental health critic with the Wildrose Opposition, raised the issue in the Legislature Tuesday.
He said the decision is a major concern, especially given front-line workers who are against it weren't consulted.
Hoffman replied by saying the government is investing in front-line services to make sure more supports are available for people.
Snaterse said the 20-bed unit being closed opened late in 2012 but hasn't always been fully utilized, leading AHS bosses to make the switch to supportive transitional housing programs.
He said about 20 staff from the unit — including nurses, psychiatric aides and social workers — will be reassigned to other programs.
