Are Services for those in Drug Abuse/Mental Health Crisis Locally Diminishing as the Need for Detox Services is Increasing?

 

We've got a major drug issue in our community--yet the only area detox facility for uninsured and underinsured has closed.  Why?  Sadly, according to those familiar, it is all about money and resources.

At our committee of the whole last week, one speaker came to the podium with a very serious concern.  An employee of Community Health NW Florida--this individual has a history with assisting those who are homeless and those who are in drug abuse crisis.

So when he exclaimed that Lakeview's Acute Stabilization Unit has closed (see discussion starting 1:09:01 of this video)--it naturally evoked concern from the board.  This facility was one that provided inpatient detox services for adults in crisis.  It was/is a necessary service--especially given our massive drug abuse issue in portions of Escambia County, illustrated by our EMS units responding to an average of 6 opioid overdoses per day, and solidified by our Medical Examiner's warnings on the number of overdose deaths in our community overwhelming her office.  Why would that ASU facility close--necessitating that adults without insurance would have to be transferred all the way over to Bay County?  We're much bigger than Bay County--so why would this vital function be pushed over there?

I made several calls to folks who would know after that back and forth at the COW.

Lakeview's ASU did, in fact, close in December of last year.  I confirmed that fact after speaking to an individual in the know about that particular facility. Patients that would have been transferred there are now sent as far away as Panama City for Detox.  It was a resource and usage scenario which set the stage for that facility's closing, according to this informed source.  "We had a staffed facility for 10 and at times it just wasn't being utilized fully--often with as few as two patients."

In speaking with a different individual who works at Baptist Hospital and who is intimately familiar with this issue--it does come down to two things:  money and resources.   According to this individual--this is a problem and it is about to become a much bigger one-- as now only one of our three area hospitals will be taking Adolescent Baker Act patients.  Sacred Heart has not ever accepted them, and now West Florida Hospital will no longer be taking them as of the end of August--leaving just Baptist Hospital taking these cases--this according to this BHC source as well as a member of our state delegation with whom I also spoke and with whom I confirmed this issue.  "The first [judicial] circuit is now down to two Crisis Stabilization Units--one here at Baptist and one in Fort Walton Beach.  By comparison, the 2nd Judicial circuit [serving Franklin, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Liberty, and Wakulla Counties] has half our population and 5 facilities.." stated the Baptist Hospital affiliated individual.   "We're taking in about 14 patients daily--and West Florida would take as many as 10--but now they won't be taking any and we will be getting them all--which is going to lead to issues in getting these patients into beds.  We will do what it takes--we serve the community--but it is an issue."  When I asked his thoughts on why Lakeview was closing the ASU--he mentioned the culprits:  money and resources.  "Look, that facility is not closing due to a decrease in need" he quipped.

In speaking with a person well acquainted with West Florida Hospital who is familiar with this issue--this statement about West Florida's curtailing acceptance of adolescent Baker Act cases is true.  According to this individual it was a difficult decision based upon.....money and resources.  "Baptist Hospital receives $1.7 Million yearly from the state to help offset the costs [of the CSU] and we [West

A Conversation with Dr. Myhuong Nguyen....Part I

This email, above, was sent to all commissioners yesterday morning by local physician Dr. Myhuong Nguyen.  At first, I thought it was a hoax job.  I was wrong though...

Board members received the innocuous looking email, above,  yesterday morning from a "Dr. Myhuong Nguyen."

It was fascinating, and had an attachment that held interesting, intriguing yet controversial opinions and data about COVID-19, vaccinations, Ivermectin,  Hydroxychloroquine, India, Africa and Israel within it.  

A lot of it looked like some conspiracy theory email strings I've received in the past.   I was natually skeptical 

Could this be real--could this be the real opinion (s) from a real local Doctor?

For a minute there, I thought I was falling for some kind of a prank job like the crass, yet iconic scene from 1980's coming of age comedy "Porky's."  But it wasn't a prank.

I looked her up on Google.  Yes, this is a real doctor in Pensacola.

But could someone  be throwing out information and just using her name?  Well, maybe.  So I emailed her back--and she responded.   She emailed me her contact information  and then we spoke.  At length.

WOW-what a bombshell conversation and an extremely intelligent individual!  (I've asked her and she has agreed to be my guest on my December Coffee with the Commissioner)

She got her medical degree from Johns Hopkins and she has spent the last 18 years as an emergency medical physician in the Ascension Sacred Heart Emergency room in Pensacola.  She left in September to start her own practice as she felt she could be doing more to help more patients in a different setting.

But the bombshell claim she makes is very intriguing:

The media is not telling the truth about the vaccines, ivermectin and alternative, yet less expensive and equally effective treatments for COVID-19.  They (the media) are not telling the story of ivermectin's success in places like sub-saharan Africa and in India.

"Ivermectin is extremeley effective at treating COVID-19 and I have been prescribing it for patients here locally, in Colorado, and Atlanta---but pharmacies are not filling the prescriptions!"  she stated flatly...

"HOW can they do that?  How can they tell a doctor what she can or cannot prescribe for her patients?" I asked.

"I had my hippocratic oath taken from me" she exclaimed angrily.

I asked her about all the media ganging up on ivermectin to poke fun at it as a horse dewormer and quack science-- which she explained as follows.  She went into great detail describing the paste form of Ivermectin that is pre-measured for animals that are 1200 pounds.  "It simply cannot be dosed accurately for humans--so people have made errors in taking this and ended up seizing and needing intubation" she described.  The media then pick these stories up and report them."

She continued:

"They [media]  know it  [Ivermectin]has been around for decades and has an impeccable safety record; it is used for river blindness and is known to have antiviral properties as well--but there is a push to downplay Ivermectin in favor of the experimental vaccines!"

"Is this all about money?" I asked.  "I'm afraid it looks like it is" she stated dryly.  "I absolutely do NOT support the vaccines for children either" she offered

I told her one of my best friends, Brad Crager, died of COVID-19 and that event led me to getting the shots.  I have had two Moderna shots.

"Are the shots effective" I asked her bluntly:  "They are experimental, and we have seen a lot of patients, even locally, harmed by the vaccines.  And we are seeing in Israel, for instance, that even with vaccination rates exceeding 87% they are having patients who are vaccinated getting sick and dying.  It is very concerning what is happening there"  She continued "And then you have parts of India where there are millions of residents and they have flattened the curve TWICE using ivermectin early in a patient's diagnosis"

Curiously--I asked her if I was a patient who had recently contracted COVID-19--what would she prescribe for me.  She asked me for my weight, 200 pounds.  

"So for you I would prescribe 18 mg Ivermectin once daily for five days, along with Zinc, D3, Vitamin C.  If after 7 days you didn't improve, I would add the hydroxychloroquine."

"I guarantee you, your friend who died last January, if he had been given these medicines, he could have survived."

Wow.  Talk about interesting.  I want to know more.

I can't wait for our follow-on conversation and our discussion on December's Coffee with the Commissioner.  Should be very interesting.

"I will bring several more doctors on the show if that is alright--two of whom are the best in our area and who are now no longer working because of the vaccine mandate"  she stated.

"By all means, bring them. The more the better--I'll send you the Zoom invitation"    

How Much Does it Cost to Provide a COVID-19 Test to an Escambia County Citizen?

What is the actual cost of performing a COVID-19 test on an Escambia County Citizen?

A fascinating discussion occurred late, as the BCC's regular meeting  dragged on past 9:00PM last night.

We were discussing CARES act allocations and we had several contracts to consider---including two that would have provided additional CARES act funding for COVID-19 tests.

We were contemplating approving a contract with Ascension Sacred Heart which would have provided $100 for each uninsured citizen that gets a COVID-19 test at one of Ascension's sites.  According to representatives from Ascension--they "Ate more than $1 Million" in revenue loss from COVID-19 tests administered thus far.  There was no elaboration on exactly what that means, though.  

Was this $1 Million + in losses unrecoverable from any federal source under CARES?  Was it $1 Million in actual costs or wass this $1 Million in retail or list cost?  I'd like to know this, but did not get clarification during the morning session.

When County staff was asked during the subsequent evening meeting "How much does Ascension pay for a COVID-19 test?"  The answer came back from staff that "They (Ascension) do not share this information."

Additional discussion among board members centered on the fact that Community Health Northwest is paid $37 per COVID-19 test in a separate agreement--which apparently covers their costs and allows them to provide these rapid tests to at-risk citizens.  This is quite a bit less than what Ascension was going to be getting.  Naturally, one would assume it must be less expensive for Ascension to administer these tests, given their size, economy of scale, and their organic, in-house testing capability?

So why do they need to get $100 per test? That was the question that went unanswered last night.

  Because nobody from Ascension came to answer--and because board members had questions--the contracts with Ascension for both the mass vaccinations AND the testing were not approved.  Hopefully over the next two weeks we can get some clarification from Ascension....because folks like me want to know---How much does it cost to provided a COVID-19 test to an Escambia County Citizen?