Seattle psychiatric unit to close after $500M shortfall

Q13 Fox.com ^ | June 16, 2020 | Associated Press

[CheshireTheCat]

The University of Washington Medical Center has announced plans to close its psychiatric facility at its Montlake center in Seattle, lay off employees and reduce the number of available inpatient beds after financial shortfall caused by the coronavirus.

“They are going to officially close the unit,” spokesperson Tina Mankowski said, affecting about 23 employees at the Seven North facility. Seven North closed to patients last month and workers were originally furloughed...UW Medicine announced last month it faced a $500 million shortfall because of unplanned funds spent on COVID-19 testing and equipment while simultaneously losing millions on elective procedures.

The facility, which serves people who admit themselves voluntarily, was operating 10 of its 14 impatient beds before closing.

[CheshireTheCat]

They might as well close. It's not as if Seattle is interested in doing anything constructive about mentally ill people. Instead, they want to give them more power.

[Alberta's Child]

I’m confused. I thought the whole city was a psychiatric ward.

[bort]

They certainly didn’t close it because of the lack of patients.

[Texas Eagle]

500 MILLION??? What.....the......hell?

[The Pack Knight]

UW Medicine announced last month it faced a $500 million shortfall because of unplanned funds spent on COVID-19 testing and equipment while simultaneously losing millions on elective procedures.

I wonder how much of that was wasted on ventilators.

[a fool in paradise]

Crazy people in the streets. It isn’t a shortage of people who need heavy sedation.

[bert]

Epidemic looniness

To many crazies

Too little money

[alloysteel]

The Seattle psychiatric unit did not seem to be doing much of anything to contain the insanity gripping the city anyway.

Defund psychiatric units? Isn’t that what they want to do to the police? How exactly does this work in any rational world?

But we are not talking about a rational world, we are talking about Seattle.

[Jim W N]

It’s OK - the inmates are running the Seattle Asylum anyway.

[dfwgator]

Send 'em here...

[blueplum]

why? I can think of about 500 people in Chaz/chop that are in serious need

[petitfour]

Did they put lithium in the water during the plandemic and then yank it on cue? The crazies run wild in that state.

[bert]

Seattle is no longer America

[jughandle]

Great. If any place needs them open now it’s Seattle.

[rockinqsranch]

If the Democrats were to win they’d close them down anyway as they did with all the other mental health.

Wondering if it is realized yet the left has started the “Socialist Revolution” already they have talked, and talked about is coming? It’s here. It’s what’s happening.

[EagleUSA]

“...I’m confused. I thought the whole city was a psychiatric ward....”

Yeah, the largest outdoor psycho ward in the Northwest...and that includes the governor’s and mayor’s offices too.

[miserare]

One of my favorite movies!

[dfwgator]

“Are we talking about Number One, or Cocky-Doody?”

[Menehune56]

$500 MILLION for 10 beds? I think I see the problem...

[Deaf Smith]

"whole city was a psychiatric ward."

It is, that's for out-patient.

The facility is for in-patient.