Save Hagedorn Pychiatric Hospital

Hagedorn is a speciality hospital that cares for some of the most vulnerable members of our society. At Hagedorn there is a Geriatric population of wonderful elderly patients who suffer from mental illness and for most can not take care of or advocate for themselves.

It takes empathy, understanding and age appropriate treatment to help the hospital’s patients get better and become integrated back into the community. It also requires that the environment be a safe and harmonious one. Hagedorn is special in that regard since it worked out an agreement with the local community to not admit patients with criminal or violent histories. This has helped facilitate an environment free from intimidation and physical violence which the patients need in order to make the changes necessary for their discharge.

Mixing the geriatric population with adult populations at other hospitals would put these patients at risk. Also closing Hagedorn would create stress for these patients in that they would need to start over again in new physical surroundings and with new staff. Many patients view Hagedorn as their life line and do wish to be moved.

The communities surrounding the hospital are for the most part small with many small businesses that depend on the hospital for their survival. The closing of the hospital would shut down 5-6 small mom and pop stores at minimum and create a much larger negative economic impact for people in these communities such as gas stations, restaurants, department stores, etc,.

We’re sure that with due diligence the money could be cut from the budget in other areas that would have less of an effect on the elderly with mental health issues. Hagedorn is a model state psychiatric hospital that delivers excellent care and should not be closed because it is smaller and easiest to close.Our hope is that if you read this and agree you will phone, email or write letters to the people listed on this page and ask them to not close Hagedorn.