HARTFORD — Two Republican legislative leaders are calling for the closing of Riverview Hospital in Middletown, the only state-run children's psychiatric hospital in New England and one of only 10 in the United States.
State Sen. John McKinney of Fairfield and Rep. Lawrence Cafero of Norwalk say that Connecticut can no longer afford the facility and must find alternative ways to treat Riverview's 67 patients without compromising their care.
"This is not a bill that's intended to … rip away a safety net,'' McKinney, the Senate Republican leader, told members of the Select Committee on Children at a hearing Tuesday. "And it is not a bill that says 'close Riverview Hospital, we'll figure out what to do with the kids afterward.' "
But we also believe there is a better model and that model is in small community-based settings,'' McKinney added. "Even in the most expensive private facilities, the cost of care for these children would be significantly less.''
McKinney and Cafero said the state spends more than $900,000 a year to care for a single child at Riverview. The facility has 273 full-time employees and 122 part-time or per-diem workers, according to the state Department of Children and Families, which runs the hospital.
DCF urged the committee to take no action on the GOP proposal. Josh Howroyd, the department's legislative program manager, said a bill passed last year requires DCF to devise a plan for Riverview Hospital and submit it to lawmakers by April 15.
Riverview treats children with profound mental health issues. It is, in a sense, the hospital of last resort for children who have not responded to other forms of treatment and are a danger to themselves or others. Patients range in age from 5 to 18.
In addition to psychiatric care, the facility provides a host of other services, including schooling and clothing, to its patients, said Dr. Muhammad Waqar Azeem, Riverview's medical director.
Jeanne Milstein, the state's child advocate, offered conditional support for McKinney and Cafero's proposal. She cautioned that closing Riverview before alternative plans are in place would be disastrous for the hospital's young patients.
"It is very clear that Connecticut cannot afford to close Riverview tomorrow,'' Milstein told the committee. "However, my hope is that if the decision is made to close the hospital … a working group be immediately convened to begin the process of planning."
Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-Fairfield, questioned whether the hospital could stay open but with a sharply reduced staff until community-based mental health services for Riverview's patients were available.
Cafero said the search for alternatives to Riverview must begin now because the state cannot afford to continue with such a costly program.
"The first thing that should be in our minds is what is in the best interest of the child, not, with all due respect, the fine people who work there,'' Cafero said. "Isn't it our responsibility to take that first step and say, 'Can we do this better?' … I think this bill provides for that."
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