Mental hospital to be run by outside firm

A management firm will take control of the state's troubled mental hospital in Goldsboro and conduct a top-to-bottom evaluation of the hospital's operations, staff and management.

The state Department of Health and Human Services hopes to have the firm in place by mid-September, said Leza Wainwright, a director of the state mental health division. She could not recall another instance in which the state hired a company to manage a hospital.

Cherry is in danger of losing its federal money after investigators discovered this month that a 50-year-old patient, Steve Sabock, was left sitting in a chair without food and adequate water for more than 22 hours while workers played cards and watched television. Last week, two workers beat a patient.

Federal investigators are inspecting the hospital this week, and a decision is expected Monday about whether Cherry can keep its federal payments. Cherry receives an average of $798,000 in federal funds each month.

The outside firm, which has not been chosen, will run the hospital during the evaluation, Wainwright said. The state wants the company to assess "staffing, organizational structure, the competence and effectiveness of managers and supervisors at all levels, and all other components of hospital management and operational activities."

Hospital director Jack St. Clair stays, Wainwright said. But St. Clair will report to the new managers, who offer "that additional comfort level that another set of eyes are looking at all situations."

DHHS Secretary Dempsey Benton last week expressed confidence in St. Clair, but also said hospital administrators did not do enough to discipline the 16 workers responsible for Sabock's poor treatment. One nurse resigned, but no one was fired. Two health care technicians accused in last week's beating were fired Wednesday.

Advocates for the mentally ill and concerned legislators are despairing over what to do about conditions at Cherry. The state personnel office is reviewing salaries of health care technicians and hospital directors, according to Gov. Mike Easley's office. Critics think those jobs pay too little to attract the best talent.

State administrators have also directed Cherry to hire more security officers. The hospital police have only one officer on each shift, and the state would like to have at least two people working at the same time, Wainwright said.

Cherry needs more security workers to respond to threats of violence, Wainwright said.

"Only having one individual in any eight-hour shift is not adequate," she said.