(Credit: Montana DPHHS website) Earlier this month, the Montana State Hospital lost a projected $7 million in federal funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services after federal inspectors determined its practices put patients at risk of serious illness and death. Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Adam Me...
DPHHS Director Comments On State Hospital Losing Federal Funding
Tuesday the Montana State Hospital lost its federal funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services after investigations and warnings following four patient deaths. During a Senate committee hearing Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Adam Meier said it was in the process of addressing the issues identified prio...
State Hospital Loses Federal Funding
In a letter Friday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the Montana State Hospital will lose its federal reimbursement funding Tuesday after repeated failures to meet standard health and safety conditions. The letter to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services noted payments may continue for 30 calendar days f...
State Hospital Patients Denied Mental Health Services During The Pandemic
As a result of the pandemic more people than before have been behind bars for months at the Montana State Hospital’s forensic facility pending charges without adequate mental health treatment. Katheryn Houston of Kaiser Health News reports as of March 1st, 71 people were waiting for treatment or an evaluation at the 54-bed forensic unit ...
Montana State Hospital Facing Employment Challenges
The Montana State Hospital is on the verge of losing federal funding after a federal investigation revealed massive staffing shortages led to at least four patient deaths. Department of Public health Director Adam Meier recently told lawmakers they’ve been hiring contract workers as a temporary solution.
State Hospital $7 Million Over Budget
The Montana State Hospital has seen its ranks of full-time staff decline since early 2019 but is $7.4 million over budget largely due to its growing reliance on contract staff. Last year contracted certified nurses assistants billed hours last year jumped 700% from 2,000 hours billed to 16,000. Full-time registered nurses are experiencing a 72...
Improvement Deadline Extended For Montana State Hospital
State health department director Adam Meier said Tuesday during an interim legislative committee meeting Montana’s heavy reliance on contract workers to make up for a lack of full-time staff is not a sustainable workforce model for the Montana State Hospital at Warm Springs. The department is working with the Centers for Medicare and Med...
DPHHS To Address Staff Shortage At State Hospital
The Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs is at risk of losing its federal funding if a number of conditions aren’t improved by a Monday deadline. Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Adam Meier says one area they’re focusing on is providing competitive wages to address a current staffing shortage.
State Hospital To Address Lingering Issues
Following a special meeting called by the Children Families Health and Human Services Interim Committee Montana lawmakers have agreed to begin drafting legislation to address short-term and long-term issues at the State Psychiatric Hospital in Warm Springs. One new proposal came from Missoula Representative Danny Tenenbaum. It would stop the p...
Montana State Hospital May Lose Federal Funding
The federal government has issued a notice to Montana State Hospital officials it has until March 13th to correct noncompliance issues or it may lose federal funding. State lawmakers with oversight of the state health department have called a special committee meeting for March 4th to discuss it but that schedule could change.