Nurses Oppose Section Of Baker Opioid Plan
Governor Charlie Baker's plan to combat the opioid addiction crisis has been met with opposition by the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
The association is concerned about a portion of the plan that would allow drug addicts to be involuntary committed for 72 hours saying it would only create more burdens for emergency rooms that already filled beyond capacity.
Association spokesman David Schildmeier says this would have an even greater impact on the Southcoast, which already has some of the most overcrowded emergency rooms in the state.
"The Southeast region has some of the highest number of patients boarding in hospital eds (Emergency departments) for behavioral health and substance abuse issues," said Schildmeier "so your area, already, is one of the areas suffering more than any area of the state from the problem of having overcrowded eds."
However, Schildmeier says there is one part of the plan that they are very supportive of, the expanded use of facilities at Taunton State Hospital.
"A good part of the governor's proposal is that he has proposed Taunton State Hospital adding a number of substance abuse beds," said schildmeier "so there's some good news in the opioid bill where they are proposing to increase access to some substance abuse facilities at Taunton State Hospital."
The association has also called for using the hospital as a place to temporarily house patients suffering from mental illness until a more permanent location could be found.