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Nurses Fight Cuts And Layoffs At Holyoke Mental Health Facility
ResumeNurses in western Massachusetts are fighting to stop planned reductions to psychiatric services at a mental health facility in Holyoke.
The in-patient unit at Providence Behavioral Health Hospital is scheduled to close on June 30.
The hospital owner said it could not continue those services because of a severe shortage of psychiatrists. But Donna Stern, with the Massachusetts Nurses Association, said the decision came down to one thing: money.
"There's only one reason why they're closing it," she said. "Because mental health does not make money."
The hospital has space for up to 50 adult patients and up to 24 pediatric patients. About 200 jobs would be cut when the facility closes its in-patient unit.
This article was originally published on May 25, 2020.
This segment aired on May 25, 2020.
