PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee released details Monday about his administration’s plan to invest more than $100 million in a new facility at the Eleanor Slater Hospital in Burrillville.
The governor’s plans are for the new facility to be the location for the care that now takes place at the hospital’s Beazley building, according to a news release. It’s expected that the “enhancements” will broaden capabilities and create new jobs at Eleanor Slater Hospital, the release said.
“This represents exciting news for Eleanor Slater Hospital, and for the state of Rhode Island,” said Richard Charest, director of the R.I. Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals. “Building a new, modern facility at the Burrillville campus will enable our dedicated teams to meet the care needs of more Rhode Islanders. It will also expand our services and allow us to offer care options that we do not presently have. Gaining our community’s input is a critical component to the success of this process.”
There were few details in the news release about the project, such as the size of the planned facility.
An independent feasibility study is being used to identify the care needs of Rhode Islanders as well as the scope and size of the project, according to the release. Plans for the enhanced services and new facility at Slater Hospital will be fully developed once the comprehensive review is completed. The results of this study will be used in a review of architectural and engineering options and to determine the size and scope of the project.
“Eleanor Slater Hospital and its dedicated staff are an invaluable resource to the patients and families who rely on their care,” said Ana Novais, acting secretary of the R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services. “It is critically important that we continue working with staff, patients, families and the local community to build a Burrillville campus that best meets the state’s healthcare needs going forward.”
A community meeting will be held at the Beazley Building Medical Library, 2090 Wallum Lake Road, Burrillville, on Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. Preliminary findings of the study will be presented with time for public comment.
“Eleanor Slater Hospital plays a critical role in Rhode Island’s health care system, and that is why it is important that we invest in the hospital’s future,” McKee said. “By first gathering input from patients and families, staff and the community, we will be able to develop plans for a new facility that continues to meet those needs for many years to come.”
In recent years, the state-run psychiatric hospital has faced financial troubles, including problems with improper billing practices, resignations within its upper ranks, such as the resignation of Dr. Brian Daly as the chief medical officer in 2021, the resignation of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Elinore F. McCance-Katz in July 2022. Employee unions also complained of a volatile work environment at the hospital.
Brett Johnson, who was the CEO of Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital, was named CEO at Eleanor Slater Hospital in May 2022, succeeding Charest, who served as interim CEO.
In October 2022, the 52-bed forensic psychiatric unit in the Roosevelt Benton facility within Eleanor Slater Hospital received a new license to operate independently under the name of Rhode Island State Psychiatric Hospital, a separation that will allow the state to seek up to $40 million in federal reimbursements a year.
