Humboldt County Receives Millions of Dollars Earmarked for Healthcare and Education, New Crisis Residential Center in the Works

Senator Mike McGuire surrounded by St. Joe's nurses.

Senator Mike McGuire celebrating with College of the Redwoods nursing students in March of 2019. [Photos by Ryan Hutson]

Senator Mike McGuire joined HSU President Tom Jackson and College of the Redwoods president Keith Flamer with a host of local healthcare gurus and nurses for a virtual town hall this morning to announce a major windfall for the Humboldt County healthcare landscape. Earmarked for developing the nursing programs at College of the Redwoods and Humboldt State University, $3 million has been specifically marked for infrastructure costs to sustain Humboldt State University’s Rn-BSn program, with $500,000 of that allocated to College of the Redwoods’ LVN-RN program. Another infusion of $2 million is specifically allocated to create a new Crisis Residential Center in Humboldt County.

$500,000 will specifically go to College of the Redwoods to maintain or potentially expand their LVN to RN program, which tends to funnel all graduates to HSU’s nursing program. CR’s president Keith Flamer indicated that currently over 1,700 students are interested in pursuing that program according to declared majors and 183 students are enrolled for the upcoming school year. “The problem that we’re seeing is that we have 1,700 students who declared a major, or are on a waiting list that want a degree.” explained CR’s President. Flamer has ambitious goals of expanding the program to potentially include every student who wants to pursue the LVN to RN program and then go to HSU to complete the RN-BSN program.

The website describing the Registered Nursing program at HSU reads in part, “New roles for nurses are emerging and nursing education is changing to meet the complex health care needs of our population. Grounded in the science of caring and mindfulness practice, and in partnership with local health care agencies, HSU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program prepares registered nurses with the knowledge, attitude, and skills to address the unique needs of rural and tribal communities.” HSU’s RN-BSN program currently has 30 students enrolled.

According to the  website, the program is accepting applicants for the 2021 Fall cohort, which is set to take place live and direct on campus, no longer will it be distance learning as it has through this last year of the COVID pandemic.

The new Crisis Residential Center which will be built in Humboldt County using the $2 million specifically allotted, plans to have 10 beds and operate 24 hours a day in order to provide round the clock “comprehensive treatment” for people experiencing a crisis of mental health or drug addiction who would potentially otherwise remain at the ER or in jail.

Zoom meeting July 22.

Zoom meeting July 22.

County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Virginia Bass attended the virtual Town Hall meeting and expressed gratitude to Senator McGuire for being instrumental in securing the funds. Bass acknowledged that as a local who has lived here all her life, she has seen “more people end up in mental health crises” locally than in previous years. Bass has been working towards the goal of securing an alternate space for people experiencing mental health crises to be taken care of, as opposed to remaining in the emergency room for longer than is necessary, or being booked into the county jail. In order to establish this facility as a step down from the hospital ER or the jail, Health and Human Services Director Connie Beck also played a large part in advocating for this development.

HHS Director Beck welcomed the news, and explained why the facility will be helpful. She said, “The new facility will be a benefit to the community and those experiencing mental health crises by providing comprehensive treatment for people who are in crisis, and allowing longer-term treatment. The facility will be available for people who need round-the-clock services to prevent admission into Sempervirens Acute Facility, and people who need a place to go directly after being discharged.”

The contract to open and run the facility has been awarded to Willow Glen, and so far has one potential property in mind. Additional properties are expected to be reviewed for viability in the coming weeks. The ten bed facility will be staffed once a building location is selected, and is expected to be able to open its doors in as little as a year from the time of property purchase.

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justanotherperson
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justanotherperson
2 years ago

“Bass has been working towards the goal of securing an alternate space for people experiencing mental health crises to be taken care of, as opposed to remaining in the emergency room for longer than is necessary, or being booked into the county jail”

Seems pretty disingenuous to me.

VMG
Guest
VMG
2 years ago

Now add a billion for a decent modern hospital, another billion for recruiting, training and building HOUSING for staff members, and then improve the town so that somebody could feel safe there and stand to live there…

Actually needed, 100 doctors, fully equipped laboratories and imaging, labor and delivery in SoHum, Fortuna and Eureka, ICU beds for 200 in the county, 4 new hospitals, and a full set of honest, competent, sane and sober administrators!

An infantile infatuation with the idea of being a nurse is not enough, it takes dedication and commitment to a life of working a dirty thankless job while often feeling inadequate to the task… You have to hold patient’s hands, keep meds straight, clean up messes and be a data entry person… It never ends, and there is nobody going to treat you with respect and dignity while you are doing your job…

Being a nurse means 10,000 days on your feet for 8-12 hours, taking care of everyone while nobody takes care of you!

Good luck out there, and a grant of 3 million dollars is only the beginning of the measure of “not enough to make a difference in patient care and staff sustenance”.

Healthcare is not a job, it’s a contest between your ability to tolerate a bad situation and the ability of the employer to dispense abuse and disrespect. There are a lot of red flags flying over healthcare employment! Learn to recognize their meaning!

Watching McGuire toot his horn makes me nauseous, please don’t re-elect this clown…

Jim’s Guest Is Someone Else’s Wife
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Jim’s Guest Is Someone Else’s Wife
2 years ago
Reply to  VMG

There’s just never enough of other people’s money, is there?

VMG
Guest
VMG
2 years ago

Well JGISEW, the Federal Government recently handed out 6 TRILLION DOLLARS, for no particular reason, and some (estimated ) 40 BILLION WAS APPARENTLY STOLEN, due to antiquated hardware and software used to manage Unemployment Benefits…

Nice going, USA!

If they are going to throw it away, perhaps they could send more towards something everyone is bound to need…

[Edit: Keep it up and you’ll go back on moderation].

onrust
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onrust
2 years ago

Actually, there is plenty of money, if the rich would pay their taxes.

UnflappableJack
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UnflappableJack
2 years ago
Reply to  onrust

So, you actually think it’s their wealthy friends they’re going to bleed????? Really

Got Well Away
Guest
Got Well Away
2 years ago
Reply to  VMG

What cold and hard truth.
Having worked at the inflamed zit that St. Joes-Providence is, I know how deeply trashy it all is. Leaving was a brilliant move of self care and turning away from the devil’s lair that place is.

justsayin
Guest
justsayin
2 years ago

Another crisis center…Great! If it would actually be used by people suffering mental health issues and not overtaken by the “self proclaimed” needy homeless that would be wonderful, but we all know that won’t happen. How about 2 million dollars to assist all of the Humboldt working families who are paying crazy child care bills because the teachers unions have a stranglehold on the government schools and teachers can’t go to work and instruct the children but can go on vacations around masses of people?

Anon
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Anon
2 years ago
Reply to  justsayin

This. 100 percent

Harold Wood
Guest
Harold Wood
2 years ago

Millions here, millions there! When will this crapola stop?

rollin
Guest
rollin
2 years ago
Reply to  Harold Wood

It won’t stop until the dollar crashes and loses it’s status as the world’s reserve currency and dictatorial Democrats blame capitalism. We are on the road to serfdom.

Local
Guest
Local
2 years ago

Anything to avoid building proper jail capacity

skimming supes
Guest
skimming supes
2 years ago

Wonder how much money will get skimmed right off the top?
Let’s please keep updates on how much of the actual money makes it to where it is supposed to go.