New Asylums are Jails and Prisons

(Based on articleAre Health Systems Failing a Moral Test? (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017)

No Room in Milwaukee Hospitals for the Ill!

In Milwaukee County the County government plans to privatize the treatment at the Mental Health Complex,
Which now is the only place poor and marginalized persons in a major mental crisis can go outside of jail
Over the years, mainly due to a lack of funding by the County for persons with major mental illnesses,
Conditions there have deteriorated and numbers served have declined to where jail is home to more ill persons.
There are three major health care systems in Milwaukee County, Aurora, Froedert and Ascension,
Not one of them these three major health care system wants to treat these poor and marginalized ill.
All three non-profits are profitable, with profit margins of 7.5% to 16.4%.
There is money to be made according to the Director of Milwaukee County Department and Human Services,
But there is money to be made by these non-profits in treatment of persons with commercial insurance.
Aurora, the clear choice, plans to invest 40 million in the Athletic Performance Research Center at Marquette University,
Tied into its nearby Aurora Sinai hospital that used to house a major treatments center for ill with brain illnesses, but no more.
But has no interest in running hospital for persons with major mental illnesses.
Although there is not enough money for the three major Health systems in Milwaukee County,
Two out of State for profit companies are interested in providing the services to Milwaukee County,
One of them is being investigated by the Federal Government for fraud at 20 of its behavior health hospitals,
The other one provides mainly medical and behavioral health care in prisons or sick to prisons and jails.
One wonders how out of state for profit companies can find profit for treatment of those ill with a major mental illness,
While local non-profit health care systems cannot find enough money to care for these poor and marginalized ill persons in community.
There is a sign in Emergency Rooms and Urgent Care Centers of these three large hospital that says:
“If you have a medical emergency you have a right to receive treatment at this place”.
But added in smaller print is “within the capabilities of this hospital’s staff and facilities”.
By ridding themselves of psychiatric and mental health treatment and staff
They can now refuse the poor and marginalized in mental health crisis
The three local health systems say: “there is no room in the inn or hospital for persons with major mental illness,
We only take those ill when we can make more money. Got to Jail”

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