Gov. Janet Mills says the state's debt to the federal government over Riverview Psychiatric Center's certification has been fully paid — with interest. The center lost its certification in 2013 for multiple violations of federal laws and rules.
“The Appropriations Committee, in a bipartisan way, set aside money in the stabilization fund specifically earmarked, reserved, for payment of Riverview bills,” Mills says.
With interest, Mills says that amount has totaled about $80 million.
Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew says conditions at the hospital have greatly improved, but work still needs to be done to create needed community-based resources.
“We do have more work to do though, especially community based services, crisis services to keep people who do not need to be in an inpatient psychiatric hospital in the crisis setting so they can maybe return home and go to a residential setting other than a hospital,” Lambrew says.
Originally published Oct. 3, 2019 at 5:02 p.m. ET.
