UMass Memorial modifies plan to cut psych ward by half: 5 things to know

UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester submitted an updated plan for scaling back to its psychiatry unit following scrutiny from mental health advocates, patient families and hospital employees, reports The Boston Globe.

Here are five things to know.

  1. UMass wants to close 13 of its 28 psychiatric beds and convert them into surgical beds. Some community members — and officials at the state's Department of Public Health — are worried the cutback would hinder patients' access to mental health services.

  1. UMass submitted a new proposal for the project last week. While the hospital still plans to scale back the psych unit, it's now offering to transfer patients to other mental health facilities in the area, when necessary. The hospital expects to transfer an average of 1.2 patients per day, according to the report.

  1. The hospital would also provide a shuttle service to transport family members to the other hospitals, which would run twice a day for six months and cost similar to public transportation.

  1. UMass officials defended the scale back, saying 70 percent of psych patients treated at its facility don't need to be in a full-service hospital, according to The Boston Globe.

    "We listened to families' access concerns," said Patrick Muldoon, the president of UMass Memorial. "We thought that was an appropriate response."

  1. The Department of Public Health said it is reviewing the hospital's updated plans "and will continue to monitor the implementation … to ensure the preservation of access and health status in the hospital's service area," according to The Boston Globe.

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