XIS ACTIVITY GROUP
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Legislature
works and how
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advocate by
reading a
document
developed by
NAME NC.
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N&O Article upsets family members and NAMI Wake officials. The News and Observer ran an
article on January 21, “Visitor on Dix Park delay: ‘Shame on you’ .“ According to the article, former
Pittsburgh Mayor, Tom Murphy, who had been part of a group that recommended turning Dix into a
park, came back to Raleigh and told a group of people gathered for an “innovation summit, “Shame on
you.” for not moving forward already. In response, Len McLeod whose daughter committed suicide a
year ago, wrote a compelling letter about the need for Dix Hospital to serve people like his daughter. In
his letter, he said, “ My daughter committed suicide on Jan. 28, 2011 at the age of 26. She suffered with
bipolar and borderline personality disorders. She was a frequent patient at Dorothy Dix Psychiatric
Hospital. It was her refuge. I wholeheartedly believe that, if the hospital and caring staff that knew her
and her situation so well had been available, she would be alive today.” Read more here:click here NAMI
Wake President, Gerry Akland also wrote a letter published in the N&O that concluded, “Others believe
the land should be a campus consistent with the legacy of a 19th century female leader who spent her
life fighting for forgotten victims of a stigmatizing illness. All North Carolina citizens should have a voice
in this decision. Not just a few, and especially not an outsider from Pittsburgh. Read more here:click
here.
Medicaid Standoff still ongoing. The NC Legislature held a Department of Health and Human
Services Oversight Committee Meeting on Jan. 26, 2011. Sec. Lanier Cansler has been warning
Legislators that they are running out of money to pay bills. An article from northcarolinahealthnews.org
click here reported that Cansler told Legislators in December, “The drop dead date would be mid-May
when we run out of money to pay the bills. We write checks weekly. Every time we do, it’s about $100
million in money going out the door.” Republican lawmakers have been pointing the finger at Gov.
Beverly Perdue saying that it is her job to cover the shortfall. She has responded by saying that she
doesn’t have the authority. In the January 26 meeting, Rep. Nelson Dollar, said “I’m sure we’ll take
appropriate actions in May to address the shortfall at that time.” Let’s hope he is right. Otherwise it will
add more distress and chaos to an already overburden mental health system in NC.
Wake and Durham Local Management Entity/Managed Care Organization (LME/MCO) Merger.
County Officials in both Durham and Wake Counties are working through all the complicated business
issues necessary to form a partnership. Both parties want to make sure it is a good deal for citizens in
their counties. This has delayed the approval process somewhat, but it is likely that the Durham
Commissioners will take up the agreement at their Feb. 6 meeting. If approved, it is likely that the Wake
Commissioners will also vote on the agreement the same day. In the meantime, the Wake LME is
working hard to keep all the balls in the air until a merger occurs. All the uncertainly in employment has
resulted in key staff leaving. At a meeting of the WCHS Board’s LME Advisory Committee on Tuesday,
1/24, we learned that Patsy Coleman, a key administrator is leaving. Keith McCoy, MD, the Clinical
Director is also resigning to take another job. Other key staff have decided to take early retirement or
take other positions within Wake government. According to Carlyle Johnson, Ph.D., 20% of the LME
staff have decided to leave although some will wait until the end of June to retire. Assuming an
agreement is reached, plans are for the new Managed Care Organization to begin to operate on July
1. In the meantime, keeping everything operating smoothly is going to be a Herculean effort for the
staff. Dr. Johnson is optimistic that all the critical functions will continue until operations can be merged.
article on January 21, “Visitor on Dix Park delay: ‘Shame on you’ .“ According to the article, former
Pittsburgh Mayor, Tom Murphy, who had been part of a group that recommended turning Dix into a
park, came back to Raleigh and told a group of people gathered for an “innovation summit, “Shame on
you.” for not moving forward already. In response, Len McLeod whose daughter committed suicide a
year ago, wrote a compelling letter about the need for Dix Hospital to serve people like his daughter. In
his letter, he said, “ My daughter committed suicide on Jan. 28, 2011 at the age of 26. She suffered with
bipolar and borderline personality disorders. She was a frequent patient at Dorothy Dix Psychiatric
Hospital. It was her refuge. I wholeheartedly believe that, if the hospital and caring staff that knew her
and her situation so well had been available, she would be alive today.” Read more here:click here NAMI
Wake President, Gerry Akland also wrote a letter published in the N&O that concluded, “Others believe
the land should be a campus consistent with the legacy of a 19th century female leader who spent her
life fighting for forgotten victims of a stigmatizing illness. All North Carolina citizens should have a voice
in this decision. Not just a few, and especially not an outsider from Pittsburgh. Read more here:click
here.
Medicaid Standoff still ongoing. The NC Legislature held a Department of Health and Human
Services Oversight Committee Meeting on Jan. 26, 2011. Sec. Lanier Cansler has been warning
Legislators that they are running out of money to pay bills. An article from northcarolinahealthnews.org
click here reported that Cansler told Legislators in December, “The drop dead date would be mid-May
when we run out of money to pay the bills. We write checks weekly. Every time we do, it’s about $100
million in money going out the door.” Republican lawmakers have been pointing the finger at Gov.
Beverly Perdue saying that it is her job to cover the shortfall. She has responded by saying that she
doesn’t have the authority. In the January 26 meeting, Rep. Nelson Dollar, said “I’m sure we’ll take
appropriate actions in May to address the shortfall at that time.” Let’s hope he is right. Otherwise it will
add more distress and chaos to an already overburden mental health system in NC.
Wake and Durham Local Management Entity/Managed Care Organization (LME/MCO) Merger.
County Officials in both Durham and Wake Counties are working through all the complicated business
issues necessary to form a partnership. Both parties want to make sure it is a good deal for citizens in
their counties. This has delayed the approval process somewhat, but it is likely that the Durham
Commissioners will take up the agreement at their Feb. 6 meeting. If approved, it is likely that the Wake
Commissioners will also vote on the agreement the same day. In the meantime, the Wake LME is
working hard to keep all the balls in the air until a merger occurs. All the uncertainly in employment has
resulted in key staff leaving. At a meeting of the WCHS Board’s LME Advisory Committee on Tuesday,
1/24, we learned that Patsy Coleman, a key administrator is leaving. Keith McCoy, MD, the Clinical
Director is also resigning to take another job. Other key staff have decided to take early retirement or
take other positions within Wake government. According to Carlyle Johnson, Ph.D., 20% of the LME
staff have decided to leave although some will wait until the end of June to retire. Assuming an
agreement is reached, plans are for the new Managed Care Organization to begin to operate on July
1. In the meantime, keeping everything operating smoothly is going to be a Herculean effort for the
staff. Dr. Johnson is optimistic that all the critical functions will continue until operations can be merged.