Advocates Fight Planned Closure of Highland Hospital Substance Abuse Program

The board of the Alameda Health System is expected to meet Tuesday to discuss the controversial planned closure in Oakland of Highland Hospital's substance abuse program. The day care program is tailored toward pregnant women and new mothers up to 60 days after their babies are born, and an outpatient program offers services to both men and women.

The program, which had been in operation more than 20 years, is slated to close this week due to financial problems.

Jerri Randrup, spokeswoman for the board, said in a statement that the county's public health system has had two very difficult fiscal years.

She says the board moved to close the center by the end of the month because of low patient volume. The program only served about half the 120 people they were contracted for this year. Money saved from the program's closure will be redirected into other community programs that offer similar services.

SEIU Local 1021 held a rally Monday in front of the hospital, to protest the closure. The union represents many health care workers and other staff at hospitals throughout Northern California, including Highland Hospital.

Lenora Beers, a social worker with the substance abuse program, says its wide range of services are unique in the area.

"They have other programs," says Beers, "but they don't have the child care, they're not as family centered as we are."

Advocate Jesse Brooks says the outpatient center is a one-stop shop that offers child care, meals and doctors visits to patients, and it helped him nine years ago.  He says back then, he was an HIV-positive ex-con struggling with a crack addiction.

"At the time, I had tried two attempts at recovery, and I knew I needed to get away from the area I grew (up) in, which was North Oakland," says Brooks. "I asked to be sent to the Highland Hospital program. That day really changed my life."

Meanwhile, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors is getting involved. Supervisor Richard Valle says he'll ask the board on Tuesday to require public comment before allowing the center to close.