The Pacific Communities Health District Board of directors had a large group of people who attended their meeting Monday September 21st still wanting answers regarding the possibility of a detox center being established as part of the taxpayer funded new hospital medical center.
At the last meeting members of the audience asked the board to make this an agenda item at their next meeting, which was held yesterday. However that was not the case so many showed up to speak on the matter during public comment. Those who testified before the board advocated the importance of having a detox facility in Lincoln County once again.
Some board members again expressed concern over the amount of beds requested for the facility as it could jeopardize the hospital’s critical access standing. Lt. Jamie Russell with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office pointed out that many of the people they see at the jail are those who could have benefited from having a detox center. Russell told the board “having them incarcerated for extended periods of time, where in most cases some type of detox would have allowed them to hopefully become clean and sober and not enter the criminal justice system. Once they enter the criminal justice system it’s a wheel they can’t ever get out of.”
Chandler Davis with the Lincoln County Addiction Prevention and Recovery committee said “this is something that affects the hospital, citizens, the business community and law enforcement.” Others told the board that these are people the hospital is already spending money on by seeing them in the emergency rooms with alcohol poisoning and drug overdoses. This it was pointed out is costing the hospital money.
Board Chair Dr. Ralph Breitenstein told the group that they will be working to put together a task force as there were still many questions that have remained unanswered regarding the center such as who will be in charge of it and how it will be run and paid for. “This is not something that is going to be self sustaining.” After the task force has had time to work through some of these questions they can bring the matter back as a listed item on the agenda in the next few months. It was advocated for Cheryl Connell director of the county Health and Human Services and someone from law enforcement be on the task force.
