The Montana State Hospital is tens of millions of dollars over budget as it prepares to apply for federal recertification with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). State health officials said they are making progress.
State Health Department Director Charlie Brereton said his office plans to apply for recertification of the state hospital by the end of the year.
CMS pulled certification in 2022 due to patient deaths and dangerous conditions at the facility. That means the state hospital can no longer receive Medicare or Medicaid funding.
According to documents given to state lawmakers this week, the state hospital is over budget in part due to spending about $46 million on contract staff this past fiscal year.
Brereton said the health department is working to boost pay for staff in order to reduce reliance on contract workers.
The state is also working with contractors to review infrastructure improvements, has hired more administrative staff to improve patient safety and the facility is searching for a new CEO.
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Nearly two years after losing federal certification, the state’s adult psychiatric hospital in Warm Springs is facing leadership shakeups and turnover of medical providers and key staff. -
State health officials said they will pay community providers to do court-ordered mental health evaluations. Scam artists are trying to trick Montanans out of their money or sensitive personal information. -
Workers in state-run medical facilities will soon get a raise. This comes as the state struggles to hire permanent medical workers, but state health officials have a plan to recruit and retain more staff. -
The state has announced its first plans for spending a $300 million pool of money created to boost Montana's ailing mental health and disability care systems. -
Families of former Montana State Hospital patients are suing the state. They say the state failed to prevent neglect, injuries and other issues at the psychiatric facility.
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The Montana State Hospital’s forensic unit has been struggling for years to keep up with the number of inmates criminally committed to the facility. That’s led to long wait times in jail cells for inmates awaiting treatment. State health officials said they have a way to fix the problem.
