AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Tension between some state lawmakers and DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew continue.
On Monday, Mayhew sat before the Appropriations Committee to discuss Riverview Psychiatric hospital's accreditation and the need for state funding.
Mayhew proposed two things to the committee, do they want the state to continue collecting federal funding despite the hospital losing accreditation and will they approve the building of a separate facility for forensic patients.
It is an argument DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew and members of the Appropriations committee have had before, how to regain Riverview's certification and restore millions of dollars coming in from the federal government.
Commissioner Mayhew said, "The legislature is the body that appropriates funds. They need to make a decision of whether they are going to replace federal funds with state general fund dollars or authorize the creation of a new treatment facility."
The issue, some committee members say the commissioner has yet to lay out a plan, one senator saying Monday's testimony only rehashed the history which led them here.
Appropriations Chair Rep. Peggy Rotundo (D) of Lewiston said, "We provide the funding and nothing changes. So now here we have another proposal, an enormously expensive proposal we don't have a lot of the details but are being asked to provide the funding for it."
The proposal this time, allow DHHS to build a separate facility to take care of forensic patients , those sent to Riverview by the criminal justice system. Mayhew says the new facility would keep those possibly dangerous patients in a secure setting while freeing up beds for more patients at Riverview.
"You can't both be a hospital and a correctional facility. You can't play both of those roles under one roof. So it is pivotal, it is critical that you be able to appropriately provide other options for the forensic population," argued Mayhew.
According to Mayhew, the federal government will not accredit Riverview Psychiatric Hospital until the forensic patients are removed. One issue an audit found which caused Riverview to lose it's accreditation was when it came to records of treatment.
Mayhew explained Monday alongside Superintendent Jay Harper, some forensic patients do not need hospital care and therefore the hospital has no record of such. By placing those patients in a separate and more secure facility the state insists it would allow Riverside to be re-accredited and continue receiving federal funding.
Representative Rotundo said, "We need assurance if we spend the money this time, we will actually be able to solve the problem."
Mayhew responded to the concerns of the committee members, "I cant be asked routinely what is the plan what is the plan and then when presented with the plan continue to be asked 'What is the plan?'"
The Appropriations Committee will meet again on October 15th
