Critics pan plan to close NUMC detox center

Drug-abuse experts and union officials Wednesday criticized a plan under consideration by Nassau University Medical Center to close its 20-bed detox center, calling it shortsighted at a time of growing concern about the abuse of prescription painkillers and illegal narcotics.

"As we see people dying from overdoses of opiates and people getting tragically murdered in pharmacies . . . do you really think it's a wise idea to shut the detox center?" asked Civil Service Employees Association president Jerry Laricchiuta during a meeting Wednesday of the hospital's board of directors. "It goes against the very core of why we are here."

While hospital officials declined to detail their plans, union and legislative officials said NUMC is considering moving to an outpatient treatment model that will allow it to qualify for additional state grant funding.

The change would require approval of the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and the state Department of Health.

Arthur Gianelli, president and chief executive for the East Meadow public hospital, said he is considering a number of proposals related to NUMC's detox and chemical dependency services.

"There is no scholarly evidence to support the claim that inpatient addiction services are superior to outpatient care," Gianelli said in a statement. "Any reduction in inpatient addiction beds would be more than offset by a massive expansion of outpatient addiction, primary care and care management services."

Claudia Ragni, executive director of the privately funded Kenneth Peters Center for Recovery in Syosset and Hauppauge, said outpatient treatment is appropriate for 80 percent of all addicts. The other 20 percent, she said, need to be treated in a hospital.

"We have lost hundreds of detox beds in Long Island over the past 25 years," Ragni said. "And what we are looking at now is the absolute worst drug crisis Long Island has seen in its history."

Questioned about the possibility of closing the detox center, Craig Rizzo, chairman of NUMC's board of directors, said, "We are in the process of discussing various options. At this time, nothing has been voted on or presented to the board."

Facing a $50 million budget gap, NUMC laid off 175 workers in November. But in December, the hospital hired former Nassau Legis. John Ciotti as its new $300,000-per-year general counsel.

“They have money for that and not the detox center,” said Legis. Judi Bosworth (D-Great Neck), ranking member on the legislature’s Health and Social Services Committee. “It flies in the face of common sense.”