Many in Coweta and Fayette counties have for years wanted a behavioral hospital in Newnan that could serve veterans and others. After it was denied last year, an April 22 hearing will be the last chance citizens can have their say on establishing the Newnan Behavioral Hospital.
The proposed Newnan Behavioral Hospital is intended to serve as a psychiatric and substance abuse facility at the site of the old Newnan Hospital on Hospital Road.
The certificate of need (CON) submitted by U.S. HealthVest and heavily supported by the community was denied by the Ga. Dept. of Community Health in 2014.
The hearing at the Coweta County Justice Center before Judge Emory Palmer is scheduled for April 22 at 1:30 p.m. Those attending are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the hearing for security screening. The justice center is located at 72 Greenville Street in Newnan.
Commenting on the need for the hospital, Coweta Veterans Commission co-Chair Malcolm Jackson said, “Coweta County needs this local hospital to serve our local population to prevent patients from having to travel long distances for behavioral care. The hospital would also make a special effort to provide service to our veterans.”
U.S. HealthVest Vice President Stacie York at a previous meeting noted that various Coweta County professionals in the field sent 75 letters of support in recommending that the CON be approved. Once the CON was denied, U.S. HealthVest appealed the decision, as did the Coweta County and Newnan governments. York said it is unusual to have a city and county government issue an appeal.
“We’re humbled that the city and the county appealed the decision,” Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce President Candace Boothby said last year.
The proposal to locate the facility in the old Newnan Hospital would have the psychiatric hospital serving an area that includes, Coweta, Fayette, Heard, Troup and Meriwether counties.
An audience member at a previous meeting asked the Veterans Administration protocol if a local veteran suffers a mental crisis. Others in the audience answered, saying the vet is required to be admitted to facilities in Columbus or Villa Rica.
Weighing in on the topic, Coweta County Sheriff Mike Yeager said the current procedure requires that a vet experiencing a psychiatric crisis be picked up by deputies. If determined by medical staff after an initial evaluation that involuntary admission to a facility is needed, a deputy must transport the vet to Columbus.
“We’ve had several of these on given days. Three to five deputies on the road to Columbus and back. It can be 6-8 hours before a deputy is back in the (Coweta) community,” Yeager said. “One of the biggest mental health providers in Georgia are county jails. And counties and taxpayers foot the bills.”
Asked if the Newnan Behavioral Hospital could provide an effective substitute for the Columbus facility, York said it could while providing an expedited admissions process.
York during the discussion also noted that the hospital would accept admissions regardless the ability to pay. Her comment was in response to a statement by Coweta VFW and American Legion representative Glenn Flake who explained that the community is home to a number of vets who have limited funds. Others at the meeting said another problem with treatment is the distance required to drive for needed services.
Continuing the topic, Jackson said that for some veterans, “If they can’t make the trip they can’t get the treatment.”
Studies indicate that 25-50 people per 100,000 will need the services of a psychiatric hospital. With a proposed 60-bed hospital, the facility would easily accommodate the five county service area, York said.
“A large show of community support is needed for the hearing on the future of the proposed Newnan Behavioral Hospital,” Boothby said last week. ”The hearing is the last chance to obtain approval to open Newnan Behavioral Hospital, a new psychiatric and substance abuse treatment facility. The hospital will treat all ages and offer a specialized combat military program. Judge Emory Palmer will hear the case and render a decision.”
