Time for action: Cherry Hospital needs to answer for continuing problems

There likely are extenuating circumstances -- and it is hard to understand what it is like to work at Cherry Hospital unless you are there every day, but when changing bosses, hiring consultants and revamping policies still does not work, it is time to face a real serious fact -- something is wrong.

Cherry Hospital officials -- as well as those from state Department of Health and Human Services need to stop hiding behind liability fears and speak out -- once and for all -- letting people know why problems are continuing at the local facility.

If there are circumstances that the public does not know that should be addressed -- let's hear them. If there are issues with patient control and staff, let's hear them.

The time for carefully worded press releases is finished. It is time for someone in authority to sit down and talk about why these citations keep occurring and what needs to be done about them.

And that might mean saying some things people do not want to hear and giving the community an up close look at what it is like to work at a state mental hospital.

There are good people who are dedicated to doing the best job they can at Cherry. A few bad apples should not destroy the reputation of a hospital that has helped many patients for years.

But silence is not the answer. It is time to talk about what's really going on -- and to take whatever measures are necessary to correct the problems.

Published in Editorials on May 7, 2010 10:17 AM