Peter Buckley has seen it before -- a medical school steps in with a struggling psychiatric hospital and turns it around in a few years. Now Dr. Buckley, the head of the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Medical College of Georgia, is hoping for similar success with East Central Georgia Regional Hospital in Augusta and Gracewood.
The school and the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities announced a partnership Thursday that will allow MCG School of Medicine to take over administration of the 585-bed hospitals that occupy two campuses. Not only will the 1,600 employees not lose their jobs, but the move also will result in MCG hiring staff for positions that the state has struggled to fill, said Commissioner Frank Shelp.
"This will enhance our job attractiveness," he said, in an institution that is "one of if not the most understaffed of state hospitals." It will also allow MCG faculty, residents and two new forensic fellows to rotate through the facilities, enhancing care for patients and families, and providing new energy for the staff to connect with, Dr. Shelp said.
"I think everyone is excited about it," said Registered Nurse Lois Gulley, who said she is looking forward to "teaching and learning."
It also might help the state meet the expectations of the U.S. Department of Justice, which deemed a previous state-submitted plan to improve care in state mental hospitals as inadequate, Dr. Shelp said. Almost all of the $2 million cost of making the transition will be borne by moving around existing hospital revenues.
"In terms of finances, it is really revenue-neutral," Dr. Shelp said.
Prior to coming to MCG, Dr. Buckley was with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, which partnered with a troubled psychiatric hospital "under court order to clean up its act or close," he said.
After seven years, it was voted the best in Ohio by a national advocacy group, Dr. Buckley said. Dr. Shelp also praised his experience at Duke University Medical Center in establishing a relationship with a state mental hospital in North Carolina.
"We think that this relationship can work when you get it right," Dr. Buckley said.
Reach Tom Corwin at (706) 823-3213 or tom.corwin@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
I am very glad to hear about Dr. Buckley, If he is an honest man and can rid the 2 area hospitals of such neoptism and "oh that's the way it used to be done", mind thinking. It will be a great place. Get rid of lazy people that don't want to work and just there to get a paycheck and it will also make the hospiatls a better place. Good Luck!!!!
I am very glad to hear about Dr. Buckley, If he is an honest man and can rid the 2 area hospitals of such neoptism and "oh that's the way it used to be done", mind thinking. It will be a great place. Get rid of lazy people that don't want to work and just there to get a paycheck and it will also make the hospiatls a better place. Good Luck!!!!
One giant step for Mental Health! Horray! People with mental illnesses are most likely to not be able to work and thus need good, free mental health care. Let's hope MCG can turn both hospitals into something other than revolving doors for those with biological illnesses that happen to involve the brain.
it has been awhile since i worked at the ECRH I am quite sure it has gotten like the rest of the GRH i have work at two other grh hospital and the one in sav is the worse one I thought no other grh hosptial could beat the one in atl boy was i wrong these hosptial are just putting anyone in a nurse manager position i am so glad the feds are watching and taking action they need to get rid off alot of the sorry r.n's I was doc 8hrs because i call out with a headache because i got hit in the head by a consumer the nusre manager stated that was not her problem these rn cause these units to have big turn around we have people working 50 to 60hrs of overtime ever week when other can't get any and when u go to Cindy Jackson the nurse ex she ingnore the problem people can leave early an still get paid ot i guess u have to be willing to kiss but then u can still all the time u want we had one employee to go to another employee retirement breakfast on the clock and still got paid did i say if you kiss the r.n butt u can do what u want at grhs i can't wait til they get to savannah the problem is not the patient it is the people that is running these hospital like the dr's rn's
nurse ex and the person that is in charge of the whole hospital these people are the real problem if u are not an R.N or above u don't mean anything at GRH
Gracewood is still haunted by the ghost of Robin Williams and those cronies he hired outside of the state civil service system.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
