greystone park psychiatric hospital

New Greystone set to open, at long last

Psychiatric facility receives patients in April

 

By Lawrence Ragonese

March 8, 2008 - Star-Ledger

 

The patients are finally going to get to move into the new $170 million Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, officials announced yesterday.

A frustrating five-month wait ended Thursday when the state Department of Community Affairs issued a temporary certificate of occupancy for the 450,000-square-foot structure. That clears the way for a move of some 400 patients from the dilapidated and soon-to-be-abandoned old Greystone to a new state-of-the-art state hospital in Parsippany.

Inspections of electrical, security and other systems passed muster, giving the Department of Human Services the green light to move, said Community Affairs spokesman Chris Donnelly.

It will take 30 days to gear up for the long-awaited move, according to Assistant State Human Services Commissioner Kevin Martone. That would push the opening date of the new hospital to early April, some five months after a ceremonial grand opening was held on Nov. 1.

"The department looks forward to progressing with this move, both physically and the overall transformation it represents," Martone said yesterday through a spokeswoman.

Delays in getting a temporary certificate had led to a bit of finger pointing between state agencies, with patients left to look out the windows of their old lodgings to a potential shiny new home across the street.

The state Economic Development Authority, which is in charge of the construction project, contended work was complete on the new hospital and just waiting for DCA inspectors to approve occupancy. But Community Affairs officials said some work, including fire safety systems and plumbing, was not complete or ready for inspection.

"This is ridiculous," frustrated Greystone trustee John Lydon said recently. "We have a hospital that is brand new sitting there that cost millions of dollars."

 

The temporary certificate of occupancy was issued on Thursday, said Donnelly. To get a permanent approval, the construction team still must fix some non-life safety issues, he said.

"We have no time frame as to when this might occur, but we are currently working with the Department of Human Services and Economic Development Authority to ensure all of these issues are addressed as quickly as possible," said Donnelly.
The new Greystone is a 450-bed hospital, which, along with 60 beds in existing cottages, will serve a maximum of 510 patients, mostly from Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and parts of Warren counties. Its expected April opening was warmly received yesterday by mental health advocates.

"We commend the current administration for bringing on line a facility that had been five administrations in the making," said Phil Lubitz, of the New Jersey branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. "Now, that we have a brand-new building, we need to ensure that it becomes a center for state-of-the-art treatment."

 

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