What Exactly is Gianforte’s Plan for the State Hospital?

Democratic Lawmakers Push for Answers on State Hospital Federal Funding

Helena, MT – On Monday, Democratic legislators sent a letter to the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), asking for clarity on if the department would seek re-accreditation from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Earlier this year, the Montana State Hospital lost federal CMS accreditation and millions of dollars in funding for failure to meet safety and quality standards, thanks in part to mismanagement from Gianforte’s administration and staffing shortages.

In their letter, Democratic legislators, including those representing the district where the State Hospital is located, say, “Pursuing re-accreditation is an important step in demonstrating to the State Hospital’s patients, staff, and the community at large that the State is committed to correcting the serious wrongs that led to MSH losing its accreditation to begin with. Montanans deserve to know that patients committed to the State Hospital are being treated humanely and with a high standard of care. The staff of MSH deserves to know their workplace is safe and that they will be treated with respect and dignity. With DPHHS unwilling to commit to re-accrediting MSH, it raises questions as to DPHHS’s commitment to the State Hospital as a whole.”

The Montana State Hospital is a public hospital, which provides care for some of the state’s most at-risk patients. It is a vital public institution that provides employment, community resources, and critical care to Montanans.

“The purposeful duplicity from the Gianforte Administration and their intentions with the state hospital is deeply troubling– Greg is no king. The State Hospital doesn’t belong in his kingdom. It is a public institution that serves the people of Montana,” says Sheila Hogan, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. “Montanans deserve answers. It’s unconscionable to keep the Montanans who rely on the State Hospital in the dark.”


Background:

The State Hospital was already over budget before the loss of CMS funding. Gianforte’s DPHHS brought on a private NYC-based consulting firm to try to manage and identify the issues, and have dodged questions about whether or not they plan on seeking reaccreditation.

Alvarez & Marsal, the multi-national consulting firm to which Gov. Gianforte’s administration has awarded a $2.2 million contract to take over the Montana State Hospital, has a history of mismanaging public institutions in the name of cost-cutting.

Alvarez & Marsal appears to win these government contracts by promising stunning cost-cutting, and then leaves these public institutions and communities in worse shape than before they arrived. A common complaint from lawmakers in states where the firm has operated is that Alvarez & Marsal tried to run the public institutions, including public schools, like “businesses”.

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