Sandoval makes $2 million request for Rawson-Neal

By Cy Ryan

Monday, July 29, 2013 | 6 p.m.

Gov. Brian Sandoval wants authority to spend $2 million for the rest of this fiscal year to shore up the troubled Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas.

The request must be approved by the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee, and Sandoval asked last week for it to schedule a special meeting to handle the request.

The hospital has been under criticism for putting out-of-state patients on buses to their home without plans for follow-up treatment or contacts.

Details for what the money will be used for were not available.

The Joint Commission on Accreditation recently issued a preliminary denial that the hospital does not meet national standards. The state says it will not appeal the decision but will ask the commission to conduct a new inspection to see recent improvements.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also cited the hospital for its bus strategy. And it intends to make another inspection to see if the hospital has made corrections. The agency can stop federal payments going to the hospital for patients covered by Medicaid and Medicare.

The Legislature, on the recommendation of Sandoval, agreed to set aside $4 million to bring the hospital up to standard.

Senate Majority Leader Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, said the regular meeting of the Interim Finance Committee is set for Aug. 29. He said he didn’t know if a special meeting was necessary. But he said the need may be urgent.

“We have not done a great job in mental health for several years,” he said.