The problem is we need to have paying customers in 11 of our 16 beds on average, and they have been overwhelmingly indigent. Another explanation is that NPC was an idea that was ill-conceived and poorly executed. Today, no one disputes the need for NPC's emergency room. NPC seemed to have unanimous support among advocates when the project was approved four years ago. Schnee didn't try to make that point to trustees at the January 23 board meeting, probably because it's an unlikely scenario.
Many advocates believe it is.
However, still unclear are the costs, sources of funding and how quickly that money would become available. A statewide consortium of advocates, including Schnee, has been pushing lawmakers to improve Texas's dismal record on public mental health services. Obviously, we can't move forward until we do that. One entrepreneur swears the answer is to distrust. All rights reserved.