Manatee County awards more funding to Manatee Glens

MANATEE COUNTY— The Manatee County Board of County Commissioners will fund a request by Manatee Glens that ensures the mental-health provider can continue to assist other agencies with detoxification and Baker Act mental-health services.

Commissioners on Aug. 7 approved giving the entity $545,000 more than its proposed fiscal year 2012-13 budget appropriation, providing a $195,000 increase for Baker Act services and a $350,000 increase for drug and alcohol detoxification services, starting Oct. 1.

Manatee Glens CEO and President Mary Ruiz said the money will ensure the organization can continue taking transers from other hospitals and for assisting the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Through the partnership with Manatee Glens, sheriff’s office deputies can transport Baker Act and Marchman Act patients directly to Manatee Glens, rather than transporting them to the emergency rooms and then to Manatee Glens for additional services. It also allows Marchman Act patients the ability to detox at Manatee Glens, rather than in Manatee County’s jail.

“It demonstrates commitment to the taxpayers, that behavioral health is more cost efficient than jails or emergency rooms, and it affirms that behavioral-health issues are just as important to the County Commission as health issues,” Ruiz said of the county’s decision.

Ruiz said the money requested simply covers Manatee Glens’ expenses. Since 2009, Manatee Glens has seen an 87% increase in detox days, a 75% increase in children’s admission days and about an 18% increase in Baker Act-related admissions days.

“It’s not something we wanted to do,” Ruiz said of asking for more funding. “It’s something we recommended because by helping the other hospitals, we were basically driving ourselves out of business.”

Ruiz had originally submitted her request to the county in January, but the increase in funding was not included in the preliminary budget presented in June.

Ruiz said the county plans to fund the request through its Health Care Fund. The fund, however, will be exhausted by 2015, and its use is a temporary solution, she said.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

By the numbers
87 — Percentage of increase in detoxification days Manatee Glens has experienced since 2009.
435 — Number of patients Manatee Glens receives annually from other hospitals.
12,000 — Number of patients Manatee Glens treats annually.
195,000 — In dollars, amount of new monies allotted to Manatee Glens for Baker Act mental-health services.
350,000 — In dollars, amount of new monies allotted to Manatee Glens for detoxification services.