130 East Walnut Street, 7th Floor, Green Bay, WI

March 17, 2015
EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR
Dear Alderman,
Bob Johnson
I am writing in regards to the recent proposal to have Strategic Behavioral Health (SBH)
purchase City of Green Bay property and receive TIF funding for the purpose of developing a
72 bed, private, for profit mental health hospital. I appreciate the City Council's willingness to
take the time to do a full and comprehensive due diligence process. Below you will find my
recommendations regarding some of the issues which should be included in the due
diligence process. I would make myself available for discussion if you so wish.
AFCSBOARD
OFDIRECTORS
Gina Alexander
Molly Berkery
I should like to point out, the proposal before the council clearly has financial value for the
City of Green Bay in terms of an increased tax base. It is fully understandable that the City of
Green Bay or any other municipality would give this proposal serious consideration.
Devon Christianson
Fr. Andrew Cribben
Regan Gurung
My presence before the council is an effort to advocate for the continued improvement of
the Greater Green Bay mental health system of care. The question before us is whether the
addition of Strategic Behavioral Health to our local system will be a benefit or a barrier to the
continued improvement.
SueHamer
TomHinz
Sandra Jackson
Randy Johnson-President
JoeKellnerMD
JamesKress
TrinaLambert
Vicki Leinbach
WayneLubner
JeanMarsch
The critical issues that should be included in your due diligence are:
improved outcomes and good corporate citizenship.
Improved Access:
SBH has stated (at the Economic Development Commission) that their hospitals are 90% full.
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JoyceMcCollum
KaraLynneMoore
Judy Nagel
Linda Negratti
Sue Weyers
Terry Wickman
improved access,
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SBH has eight hospitals and should be able to verify their average census
Projected SBH average census of 90% translates into 3,276 admissions. (Based on a 7 day
average length of stay: 63 beds x 52 weeks = 3,276)
In 2013, Bellin Psychiatric Center and the Brown County Community Treatment Center
had a combined total of 2577 admissions which just under the State wide average of 6.5
admissions per 1000.
To meet a 90% quota in our area, SBH have to 1) double number of psychiatric
hospitalizations to 13 per 1000; which is both unlikely and poor health care, 2) take over
all of the hospitalizations in the current market area served by Bellin and the Community
Treatment Center which could call into question the financial sustainability of both
organizations, or 3) they are projecting a large number of referrals from outside this
market. SBH should be able to explain how they plan to achieve this goal, considering
130 East Walnut Street, 7th Floor, Green Bay, WI 54301 www.AFCScounseling.org (920)437-8256
that there are very good resources for psychiatric hospitalization in the Fox Valley and
Wausau.
SBH stated that they will take patients who are covered with Medicaid, Medicare or are
uninsured.
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SBH has eight hospitals; they should be able to verify what percentages of their patients
are covered by Medicaid, Medicare or sliding fee.
Currently in Brown County, Bellin Psychiatric Center, Family Services, Catholic Charities,
Brown County Community Treatment Center and AFCS have patient populations with
40% or more being funded by Medicaid, Medicare, and sliding fee.
Is SBH willing to make a commitment to meet or exceed these standards? If not then the
current providers will be left with patients with the least ability to pay and may not be
able to sustain their operations.
SBH stated that Mental Health services have actually increased in the communities where
they are operating due to increased awareness.
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Can SBH provide data supporting this claim, from the eight communities they currently
serve?
While it would appear that adding 72 psychiatric hospital beds to the community should improve
access, if not done properly it could actually have an opposite affect and reduce access, especially
for the most vulnerable in our community.
Improved Outcomes:
Can SBH provide examples of collaborative provider projects they have participated in that
worked to improve the system of care and individual patient outcomes in the eight
communities where they currently serve?
(Compare to Bellin's local participation in the MORE Program to serve the homeless,
partnering with the Green Bay School District to place a mental health clinic in the
alternative high school, taking the lead in the Community Health Assessment Mental Health
Task Force and Brown County Department of Human Services development of a task force to
redesign child and adolescent mental health treatment).
Being a Good Corporate Citizen:
To what degree is SBH involved in community development activities in the eight
communities they serve? Do they participate with United Way as donors and volunteers? Do
they serve on non-profit boards or provide leadership and resources to community initiatives?
Support for SBH is not comparable to supporting another private business which wants to
invest in Green Bay. To maximize access and improve outcomes, the mental health
treatment system in the Greater Green Bay area needs to be very inter-dependent. There is
a severe nation-wide shortage of psychiatrists and nurse prescribers. Despite SBH claims, it is
unlikely that Green Bay will be able to recruit enough doctors and nurses to meet the needs
of our community, at least until the Medical College begins to graduate physicians into our
area. There is a very high demand for services from children and adults who are funded by
Medicaid and Medicare, in other words, poor.
130 East Walnut Street, 7th Floor, Green Bay, WI 54301 www.AFCScounseling.org (920)437-8256
There is a growing awareness among local providers of the need to lower our competitive walls, work
together, collaborate and share the risks in order to maximize our limited resources and provide the
best outcomes for the most people of Brown County; there is a long way to go.
Before Green Bay gives SBH a $1,000,000 incentive to bring their hospital to our area, I think it wise to
perform our due diligence to determine whether this addition will enhance or detract from our current
system of mental health care.
Sincerely,
Bob Johnson
Executive Director
American Foundation of Counseling Services
[email protected]
920-609-5959
130 East Walnut Street, 7th Floor, Green Bay, WI 54301 www.AFCScounseling.org (920)437-8256