The Honorable Steny H.

Hoyer
1705 Longfellow House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representative Hoyer:

As an Emergency Department Registered Nurse at University of Maryland Baltimore Washington

Medical Center (UM BWMC) and a 5th District Constituent, I implore you to turn your attention to
the current gap in care for those suffering from mental illness and/or addiction. It is with this that I
ask you to support the construction of a standalone facility in Anne Arundel County that serves
those with mental illness and addiction issues. In 2016, there were 2089 drug- and alcohol-related
deaths in Maryland (Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Data and Reports, 2018),
where 58.6% occurred in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Anne Arundel County. The
establishment of a stand-alone facility will provide the necessary treatment for those in the
surrounding communities as well as create jobs and stimulate the economy within the county.

Based on your history, it is apparent that you have been committed to building the economy within
your district as well as support programs that provide assistance to those less fortunate. Research
has shown that the rate of those struggling with substance abuse also have a higher rate of suffering
from mental illness (Drake, R.E., Brunette, M.F.,1998) and would benefit from the specialized care
that can be obtained through a psychiatric hospital (Drake, R.E., Brunette, M.F., 1998). Currently
in Anne Arundel County, there are three options for those who seek care to treat symptoms
stemming from mental health: UM BWMC, Shepard Pratt Health System, and the Veterans Affairs.
While it is exciting to learn that UM BWMC just recently received a $2 million grant ($500,000
grant per year over four years) to expand the number of inpatient beds and services currently
offered, I fear that it is not enough.

Most patients who seek care at UM BWMC for mental illness or substance abuse gain entrance
through the Emergency Department. Patients must wait in crowded waiting rooms for hours prior
to being seen by both a medical provider and mental health clinician. If a patient comes to the
Emergency Department under Emergency Petition and is escorted by an Anne Arundel County
Police Officer, then that police officer must remain with that patient until custody can be transferred
to an available nurse. These patients are monitored but not treated until they can be transferred to a
milieu (Clarke, D. E., Dusome, D., Hughes, L., 2007). As a result, officers are delayed and kept
from their peacekeeping responsibilities within the community. Unless patients present to the
Emergency Department with emergent health issues, those seeking assistance with withdrawal are
quickly discharged with prescriptions to help manage the associated symptoms. This quick
turnaround is often frightening to the patients who hope for a more attentive method of assistance
with their withdrawal management.

A psychiatric hospital would fill in the gap of mental illness and substance abuse care in Anne
Arundel County. Thank you for your consideration on this matter.

Sincerely,

Angele Wright, RN
AngeleWright@gmail.com 301-237-4406
 References

Anne Arundel County. (2018, April 25). Headlines – County executive steve schuh announces $2

million grant to expand mental health and addiction services at university of Maryland

Baltimore Washington medical center. Retrieved from http://www.aacounty.org/news-and-

events/news/county-executive-steve-schuh-announces-2-million-grant-to-expand-mental-

health-and-addiction-services-at-university-of-maryland-baltimore-washington-medical-

center

Clarke, D. E., Dusome, D., Hughes, L. (2007, March 7). International Journal of Mental Health

Nursing. Emergency department from the mental health client’s perspective. Retrieved

from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1447-0349.2007.00455.x

Drake, R.E., Brunette, M.F. (1998). Recent Developments in Alcoholism. Complications of severe

mental illness related to alcohol and drug use disorders. 14(1) 285-299. Retrieved from

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F0-306-47148-5_12#citeas

Hoyer, Steny. (2018). Congressman steny hoyer: biography. Retrieved from

https://hoyer.house.gov/biography/

Maryland Department of Health Behavioral Health Administration. (2018). Data and reports.

Retrieved from https://bha.health.maryland.gov/OVERDOSE_PREVENTION/Pages/Data-

and-Reports.aspx

Wise-Harris, D., Pauly, D., Kahan, D, Tan de Bibiana, J., Hwang, S.W., Stergipoulos, V. (2016,

March 9). Adminstration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services

Research. “Hospital was the only option”: experiences of frequent emergency department
users in mental health. 44(3) 405-412. Retrieved from

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1447-0349.2007.00455.x