E-Mail Express

Name:

Company:

E-mail:

Phone:

Deal could bring back mental health beds

OWNERS OF FULTON ROAD SITE NEAR AGREEMENT; POSSIBLE PLACE FOR RESIDENCY PROGRAM

SANTA ROSA – The owners of the mental health facility closed earlier this year by St. Joseph Health System–Sonoma County say they plan to complete the sale of the property by March 31 and the buyer will most likely be an independent psychiatric care company, a move that would bring back badly needed beds for the mentally ill.

Retired psychiatrist Daniel Marrin, who owns the building on Fulton Road with former dentist Jim Berger, said the partners are very close to reaching an agreement with one of two companies, depending on which can provide the services defined as most needed by local health care stakeholders. “It’s not a bidding war for dollars. It’s for who will best fit the community’s needs,” Dr. Marrin said.

Though it is still possible the site could be sold to a party with interests other than mental health, a sale to one of the psychiatric-services companies would likely result in some of the beds being contracted for the county’s use.

Sonoma County Mental Health Director Art Ewart said the county plans to contract on a fee-for-service basis for about eight to 10 beds per day for acute adult inpatient psychiatric care, which is something Sonoma County patients have not had locally since April.

“By and large, this could really take care of the community’s needs if it goes through,” Mr. Ewart said. Dr. Marrin, Mr. Ewart added, “has been really good about pulling all the players together and getting input on what the county really needs.”

In April, representatives from every hospital came together in the first of several meetings with other mental health stakeholders and Dr. Marrin and Dr. Berger to discuss finding a much-needed acute adult inpatient psychiatric site. Mr. Ewart said the group will meet again in December.

Other than the county beds, Kaiser has also expressed interest in contracting about 15 to 25 beds, depending on what programs the owner implements.

The bidders have discussed using the remaining space for adolescent, geriatric and post-traumatic stress patients.

Currently, the site is licensed for 76 general acute-care beds, and a portion of the licenses would have to be downgraded if a psych company wins the contract. The building would not need extensive upgrades or changes, just a few adjustments to bathrooms and other small alterations.

Also included in the plan is for the lot to be subdivided, and a neighboring five-acre parcel could house a new site for the family residency program. Southwest Community Health Center, which operates the Family Practice Center where the residency students work, recently brought on Santa Rosa developer Hugh Futrell to help develop the building.

Dr. Marrin said he and his partner are also in the process of interviewing bidders for their Sotoyome campus across from Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa, which was also vacated by St. Joe in April and is licensed for about 60 general acute-care beds.

The property owners said they might make that decision at the same time as the Fulton property, but they could wait longer on that site. Some of the groups interested in that location include local health care districts, a Santa Rosa hospital and a company interested in turning it into a health education institution.