Psychiatric hospital threatened with loss of federal funds

Published 10:05 am Wednesday, January 6, 2016

ANOKA — A federal report says Minnesota’s second-largest psychiatric hospital could lose millions of dollars in funding if it doesn’t correct some patient and staff safety issues.

A memo from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has notified state officials that the Anoka-Metro Regional Treatment Center is in jeopardy of losing its ability to bill the federal government for services. The state has been given until March 5 to correct deficiencies, according to a Dec. 11 letter from the federal agency.

The loss of $3.5 million in annual federal funding could further impair the hospital’s efforts to treat mentally ill patients from the Twin Cities metro.

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There were 48 aggression-related injuries involving 28 patients at Anoka-Metro in 2015, up from 38 such injuries involving 24 patients in 2013, the Star Tribune reported. The union representing workers at the facility has suggested hiring armed security guards.

The state’s new Commissioner of Human Services, Emily Johnson Piper, has visited the facility twice since being appointed in early December. She met with workers at the hospital on Christmas Day.

“Changes need to start now, and the solutions will require both short and long term actions,” Piper wrote in a Dec. 30 memo to employees.

Piper said her agency is working with federal regulators on how to improve hospital conditions. The first steps will likely include bringing in outside experts to address concerns about nursing services, patient rights and other quality assurance issues.

The hospital has seen high turnover in employees. There have been 42 staff members hired since September, but the hospital still has 43 vacant positions. Employees are often forced to work back-to-back shifts, and Piper said staffers leave because they’re being mandated to work so much overtime with the vacancies.

“Our employees are tired and frustrated,” she said.