In response, the Chautauqua Substance Abuse Response Partnership is urging county residents struggling with addiction to seek treatment, advising them that “Now is the Time.” Now is the time to seek help, including medication-assisted treatment (MAT), for several reasons:

• Deadly amounts of fentanyl have been present in the local drug supply;
• Financial, social, psychological, and physical stresses of living through a pandemic increase risk; and
• Access to treatment, including MAT, has never been easier.

Outpatient clinics across the county are working to make access to treatment available for anyone in need, including those for whom travel to a clinic is a barrier.  Telehealth options for medication and for counseling are available through The Resource Center, The Chautauqua Center, UPMC Chautauqua, the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene, and the TLC Health Network. Contact and other information can be found at CombatAddictionCHQ.com.

“Now really is the time for anyone struggling with an addiction and/or emotional pain to seek help through one of the outpatient behavioral health clinics throughout the county,” said , Patricia Brinkiman, Chautauqua County Community Mental Hygiene Services Director. “The risks and dangers of these days are great, but so too are the options for help.”

The Chautauqua County Crisis Hotline, 1-800-724-0461, is available if you are experiencing a personal crisis or are in emotional distress.

]]> https://www.wrfalp.com/chemical-treatment-providers-urge-residents-to-seek-medicated-assisted-treatment-if-dealing-with-addiction/feed/ 0 34223 https://www.wrfalp.com/rally-held-at-north-county-hospital-that-is-slated-for-closure/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rally-held-at-north-county-hospital-that-is-slated-for-closure https://www.wrfalp.com/rally-held-at-north-county-hospital-that-is-slated-for-closure/#respond Mon, 03 Feb 2020 15:34:50 +0000 http://www.wrfalp.com/?p=32865

Image from Sen. George Borrello’s Facebook Page

IRVING – A coalition of community leaders, healthcare workers, and elected officials gathered at a press conference and rally Friday in Irving to call on the Board of Directors and administration of TLC/Lakeshore hospital to cease its move towards closure.

The rally was coordinated Sen. George Borrello (R-Irving) and came a week of the state Office of Mental Health (OMH) Project Review Committee stated that the hospital must remain open.

The Committee cited the lack of a transition plan for meeting the region’s mental health and health care needs as the reason for their decision.

Despite the ruling and threats of fines and other regulatory enforcement, hospital administration says they will continue with the closure.

On Friday Kaleida Health announced it will affiliate with Brooks Memorial Hospital in Dunkirk and is close to a similar arrangement with TLC Health Network in Irving.

The organizations announced the arrangements Friday after the state awarded a $57 million grant to help with restructuring the smaller hospitals, both of which have struggled financially in recent years.

Brooks Memorial will terminate its affiliation agreement with UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pa., to partner with Kaleida Health, while TLC Health Network, the parent of Lake Shore Health Care Center, will make the affiliation official once it emerges from bankruptcy, officials said.

The Brooks board approved the decision to terminate its management and employee lease agreements with UPMC Hamot at a recent meeting. The Kaleida Health board approved the affiliations last month.

Lakeshore Hospital in Irving.

Brooks currently is a 65-bed facility, while Lake Shore Health Care is a 25-bed facility. Like other smaller hospitals in more rural areas, they have experienced difficulties as a result of declining and aging populations, problems recruiting physicians, and updating facilities and equipment.

In a statement, State Senator Cathy Young (R-Olean), said that saving Brooks and Lake Shore from closing has been a long and difficult endeavor, one that now has been won.

The grant came from the state’s Essential Healthcare Provider Support Program, which was created to help financially stressed healthcare organizations with debt retirement, capital projects and other reorganization initiatives.

Representatives at the two hospitals and Kaleida Health said they have yet to flesh out in detail how the affiliation will work, but plan to do so now that an agreement has been reached.

Lakeshore Hospital in Irving.

BUFFALO – A north county hospital that was set to close its doors by the end of this month will now have enough money to stay open until at least its next appearance in bankruptcy court.

That’s according to an article in the Buffalo News, which reports that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Buffalo decided Wednesday to allow TLC Health Network – the parent company of Lake Shore Hospital – to take a loan, effectively allowing it to keep its doors open until its next court date on Feb. 3.

According to officials in Bankruptcy court, no action was taken on the $1 million emergency loan from the Dormitory Authority of the state of New York (DASNY), a division of the state Department of Health. That’s because both sides are still negotiating final details of the loan, which was secured by state Sen. Cathy Young.

In the meantime, the judge approved TLC to borrow more money from Brooks Memorial, which will keep Lake Shore open until Feb. 3, when the next hearing has been scheduled.

Lake Shore Health Center

IRVING – Senator Catharine Young is organizing a rally to save Lake Shore Hospital later this month. The rally will take place at Silver Creek High School on Saturday, January 11 at 12:30 p.m. The event will be co-hosted Assemblymen Andy Goodell and Joseph Giglio.

Senator Mark Grisanti, Assemblyman David DiPietro, Congressman Tom Reed, Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan and County Legislator George Borrello also will take part.  And the Seneca Nation of Indians, whose Cattaraugus Territory is adjacent to Lake Shore Hospital, will have a large presence.

According to Senator Young’s office, the public is strongly urged to come to show its support.

In Mid October, officials with the Lake Erie Regional Health System, which is the parent organization of Lake Shore Hospital, announced that the facility would close in early 2014 due to financial difficulties. In late October, the LERHSNY board voted to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and TLC Health Network, the operator of Lake Shore, made it official in mid-December.  TLC also has appointed John Galati as Lake Shore interim CEO.

Lake Shore Hospital is one of Chautauqua County’s largest employers, with about 460 people working at the facility.

Lake Shore Health Center

IRVING – A north county hospital that has been experiencing financial problems the past year has filed for bankruptcy.

According to a published report, TLC Health Network filed for bankruptcy on Monday in the hopes that it would help to keep the doors open at Lake Shore Health Center.

The TLC board of directors announced in a press release that it filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court as the next step toward restructuring operations. Chapter 11 would allow TLC to propose a reorganization plan that would enable it to address debt issues while seeking new sources of income and sustainability.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Lakeshore Hospital officials were going to close the facility in early 2014 due to financial difficulties. Officials believe that by filing for Chapter 11, they can get it out debt, which would then allow the hospital to remain open.

That’s according to the new three-year Community Health Assessment Plan that was released on Tuesday, and was coordinated in conjunction with the New York State Department of Health, the Chautauqua County Department of Health & Human Services, Brooks Memorial Hospital, TLC Health Network, WCA Hospital, and Westfield Memorial Hospital.

For Chautauqua County, other priorities to address included:

• Prevent chronic diseases
• Promote healthy women, infants, and children
• Promote mental health and prevent substance abuse

The 2014-2017 Community Health Assessment provides a demographic profile of Chautauqua County, a health profile divided into Prevention Agenda priority areas, identification of the main health challenges including the broad determinants of health, community assets and resources, and documentation of process and methods of this assessment. Findings from the Community Health Assessment were used to develop the Community Health Improvement Plan, which is available as a separate document.

The complete plan can be found online at :

http://www.co.chautauqua.ny.us/departments/HHS/Pages/default.aspx.

The Low Volume Hospital Program, which expired on Sept. 30, provides $1,027,000 to Brooks Memorial Hospital, TLC Health Network, Westfield Memorial Hospital and Bertrand Chaffee in Springville. The program actually helps over 24 hospitals across New York State.

According to the Post-Journal, if the funding is not renewed, Brooks Memorial Hospital will lose an estimated $534,500, TLC Health Network an estimated $165,500 and Westfield Memorial Hospital an estimated $67,500.