I was surprised about the light turnout of Murray supporters at yesterday’s hearing
in Centralia. The message of the people present that wanted to keep Murray open
was that the community was not prepared to support the residents at Murray. I thought
Mark Doyle and Joe Turner did a fine job outlining Governor Quinn’s Rebalancing Initiative
at the hearing. The next hearing will be the full board of the Illinois Health Facilities &
Services Review Board in November. I will present testimony at that hearing. See the video
clip for my comments yesterday. I was joined by Katherine Hamann, Director of The Arc’s
Family Transition Project which works with families as their loved ones leave state operated
centers.Murray is going to close. I wished the families would take advantage of what Governor
Quinn is offering the individuals at Murray.
See story below from the Belleville News Democrat. Click on the link to see my comments
on video.
‘Do the right thing’: About 100 gather for Murray Center hearing
BRIAN BRUEGGEMANN — News-Democrat
CENTRALIA — Several opponents and two proponents of closing the Warren G. Murray
Developmental Center made presentations Wednesday to a state board whose approval
is required for the closure.
About 100 people attended a public hearing at Centralia City Hall on whether the state
should be allowed to close the 372-bed center for adults with developmental disabilities.
Many in the crowd wore green T-shirts that say “Save Murray Center.”
People with opinions on the state Department of Human Services’ plan to close the center
were each given 3 minutes to address the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board.
Of the review board’s nine members, only one — Philip Bradley of Sangamon County —
attended the hearing, and at least one audience member said Bradley may have been
napping at times. At the start of the hearing, Bradley said the board’s members would review
an audio recording of the hearing before voting on whether to close Murray Center.
The review board makes determinations on whether major medical facilities in Illinois
can open or modify their services — including shutting down. As part of its decision-making
process, the review board scheduled the hearing Wednesday to accept public input. The
review board will meet Nov. 5 in Bolingbrook to vote on whether DHS can continue with the
Murray Center closure.
Those giving testimony included Karen Kelly, of O’Fallon, whose adult son, Eric Schutzenhofer,
resides at the center. Kelly said her son has the body of a linebacker and is prone to violent
episodes. Kelly said privately-operated homes, with small staffs, wouldn’t be able to handle
her son.
Kelly also mentioned the recent findings of attorney Stewart Freeman, a court-appointed
guardian for some residents of the center. Freeman’s report on his visits to privately-
operated residential units, where some Murray Center residents have already been
transferred, found overworked staffs and unsafe conditions. A worker at one center went to
a store and bought Ensure to pour down a resident’s feeding tube because the center
ran out of the resident’s doctor-prescribed nutrition.
“Somebody belongs in jail,” Kelly said. “If that happened in a hospital, heads would roll.”
She added, “That’s what you want for my son? I don’t think so. I think in your heart, you want
to do the right thing.”
Kelly said privately-operated homes are “cheaper because it’s a lesser level of care,” using
fewer staff and not providing around-the-clock nursing, therapy programs or recreation programs.
Kelly, a nurse, said board member Bradley appeared to be snoozing at times.
“He was sleeping,” Kelly said. “As a nurse, I think I know when people are sleeping.”
The board’s administrator, Courtney Avery, said after the hearing that Bradley would have
no comment — on neither the testimony nor on the allegation that he slept.
The two witnesses who spoke in favor of closing the center both are members of Gov. Pat
Quinn’s administration.
Mark Doyle, of Quinn’s office, testified that people with developmental disabilities “enjoy
being a part of their community” when residing in community-integrated residential centers.
Doyle said the state has used a “safe and thoughtful transition process” in transferring
Murray Center residents to those types of homes.
Doyle added that privately-operated residential units are a “better use of the state’s
limited funds.”
Some Murray Center supporters said Wednesday they aren’t expecting any help from
the review board, which consists mostly of members appointed by Quinn. Quinn’s
administration is pushing for closure of state-operated mental institutions, on grounds that
people with developmental disabilities can lead fuller lives in smaller, “community-integrated”
residential units that are privately-operated, but with public funding.
The state also says placing residents in private centers is less expensive, about $120,000
per year versus about $239,000 per year at Murray Center, but Murray Center supporters
dispute those figures.
Rita Winkeler, of Bartelso, whose son resides at Murray, predicted after the hearing that
the board is “probably going to vote to close us.”
In her statement to the board, Winkeler said placing people in privately-operated units would actually isolate those individuals “due to lack of staff to take them on outings, and lack of
access to community activities.”
Centralia Mayor Tom Ashby spoke about the economic effect of closing Murray Center, which
has about 530 employees. He said it would increase Centralia’s unemployment rate to 15
percent, among the highest in the state.
The review board gave approval to the closure of a similar state institution, the Jacksonville Developmental Center, which DHS closed last year.
Tony Paulauski Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
815-464-1832 (CELL)
Tony@www.thearcofil.org
