Cherry's replacements

At Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro, it's out with the old and in with the new. The state mental hospital serving Eastern North Carolina is in line for both a new director and a new building.

A $145 million replacement hospital is in the works, to rise near the old campus that opened in 1880. The architectural plan mirrors that of the new Central Regional Hospital in Butner -- which means that patients, families, staff and taxpayers will have to be assured that the elementary design deficiencies which delayed that hospital's opening will be corrected before this new Cherry is constructed.

Aside from the cost -- $145 million is a lot even in a normal budget year for the state, which this is not -- a key issue is location. Because staff shortcomings (patient neglect and abuse, coupled with bad supervision) have been all too frequent at Cherry, some patient advocates wonder whether a larger city might provide a better labor pool. With all due respect to those Cherry employees who do good work in hard conditions, it's a fair question, one the incoming Perdue administration should examine.

Speaking of location, in a job advertisement for the top administrator's post at Cherry (the embattled incumbent is being transferred), the state paints an idyllic portrait of life in Goldsboro, where "a dynamic executive leadership opportunity is available." The city, it's said, offers "the charm of a small town and a lifestyle that breaks free from the hurried pace of life. ..."

It breaks free, anyway, when the hospital is operating humanely and effectively. Let's hope the state finds the person to make that happen more often.

The new director, however, will have to approach the post with eyes wide open. The help-wanted ad speaks of maintaining "a safe, humane and therapeutic environment in which patients' rights, individuality and dignity are respected." Candidates would be wise to figure that such conditions have been lacking. Creating them will be worth the salary (up to $270,000, depending on qualifications) the state is willing to pay.

The application deadline is Jan. 31; change can't come soon enough.