The Phillipsburg hospital provides the only inpatient behavioral health care option in Warren County.
View full sizeSt. Luke's Hospital in Phillipsburg If St. Luke's Hospital in Phillipsburg follows through on a proposal to close its behavioral health unit, the consequences could be dangerous for area residents, Warren County Department of Human Services Mental Health Board Chairwoman Elaine Fehrenbach says.
The hospital provides the only inpatient behavioral health care option in the county. The nearest in-state options would be in Hunterdon and Sussex counties, Fehrenbach said."When a person is in crisis, when they're feeling their lowest, they will have to travel," Fehrenbach said.
Traveling for behavioral health treatment to Pennsylvania is an even less attractive option, Fehrenbach said. All too often she has seen New Jersey residents get lost in the red tape and paperwork of receiving inpatient care out of state, she said.
"They will get lost in the Pennsylvania system and they might never come back to New Jersey," Fehrenbach said.
State confirmation
The St. Luke's unit closure, Fehrenbach said, was first proposed to New Jersey about one year after St. Luke's in early 2012 completed its merger with the former Warren Hospital and began operating the facility.
Ellen Lovejoy, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Department of Human Services, confirmed Thursday that St. Luke's has notified the state of its intention to close the behavioral unit in Warren County. According to Lovejoy, St. Luke's also advised the state it would be able to continue serving Warren County patients at other facilities within its network.
Before St. Luke's can act on its proposal, it would require a certificate of need from the state Department of Health, Lovejoy said.
St. Luke's did not return a request for comment Thursday.
Fehrenbach points out that the health network has pledged millions to other areas of the hospital, including surgery, radiology and intensive care services, but is not prioritizing behavior health properly.
"We're the low man on the totem pole as usual," Fehrenbach said.
The proposed closure comes with mental health issues at the forefront of policymaking in the wake of recent mass shootings, and Fehrenbach said the hospital should be looking to expand its behavioral health unit rather than eliminate it.
"You would think that it was of the utmost interest of everybody to increase these services, not decrease these services," Fehrenbach said.
County hands tied
Warren County officials formally requested the hospital withdraw its proposal and reach out to the department to discuss the matter further.
"We really would like St. Luke's to work with us," Fehrenbach said.
Drawing attention to what she perceives as an example of irony, Fehrenbach noted that Warren County freeholders signed a proclamation in May declaring it Mental Health Month. At the time, freeholders lauded the proclamation and called for greater awareness for mental health issues.
On Thursday, Freeholder Director Jason Sarnoski expressed disappointment over the potential loss of the behavioral health unit but said it was indicative of what he perceives to be a worsening climate for the business of health care nationwide due to policies at the state and federal levels.
"I'm truly concerned with the future of the health care industry in the country," Sarnoski said.
Because St. Luke's is not a public entity, the hospital's proposed move is out of the reach of freeholders, he said.
"Unfortunately, I don't think there's too much we can truly do about it," Sarnoski said. "It is a private company making their own decision."