I was one of the most outspoken opponents of the new State Mental Hospital.  I wrote two OpEd pieces supporting 16 bed Community residential placements instead.  Those placements cost about 60k per patient/year and receive 50 to 60% federal subsity.  The JC hospital costs (ready for this) $280,000 per bed per year based on full occupancy.  81 patients is about half occupancy, so the cost per patient/per year (based on the budgeted cost and 81 patients) is $425,714.29 per patient per year.

The Hospital project was a huge, costly mistake.  It's the ultimate "white elephant."  It was opposed by the State Mental Hospital Advisory Committee, the State association of mental health providers and, quite literally, every mental health professional in the state of Oregon.  The legislature ignored all these voices and built it anyway.  88 million wasted building it and it turns out, just as we predicted, it hugely expensive and unnecessary.  My OpEds are available in the RG archives.  (cont.)