Kenosha---County government could become directly involved in recruiting and paying hard-to-find psychiatrists.
The possibility is included in a pack of proposals from a couple of consultants who spent weeks looking for ways to increase access to mental health and substance abuse services for county residents and lower treatment costs.
County Executive Jim Kreuser and the county board authorized the study last fall after several psychiatrists that treated patients at All Saints Hospital in Racine left the area. That prompted the hospital, which operates the only in-patient facility for mental health and substance abuse issues in either Kenosha or Racine counties, to cut the number of beds in the ward from 48 to 27.
A chain reaction occurred, forcing some patients to go elsewhere for treatment and leading to skyrocketing costs for the county, which is partially responsible for indigent or low-income patients.
The report--released Wednesday--suggests that the county may want to collaborate with All Saints, Racine County government and other community partners to pool resources to recruit and hire psychiatrists and nurse practitioners. Asked at a Wednesday afternoon press briefing if that meant having county government partially footing salaries, Kreuser replied: "Everything's on the table."
While attracting new psychiatric help is not the only recommendation in the report, it is a key suggestion. "The shortage of psychiatrists has a way of affecting other programs," said LaVerne Jaros, director of the county's Division of Aging & Disability Services. For example, the involvement of a psychiatrist is a prerequisite for enrollment in cheaper community-based programs for children and adults with mental health and substance abuse problems.
Kreuser's staff and county board supervisors will spend the next several months coming up with a game plan that can be funded in next year's budget. "The board is ready for this discussion," Kreuser said.
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