SMC continues its nepotistic past by having part-time Meridian employee, Meg Hudson, acting as the Director Soc.Wrk team@Haywood Reg psychiatric unit

I would like to know how it is that Meridian Behavioral Health's part-time employee, Meg Hudson, is going to act as the Smoky Mountain Center Director of Social Work at Haywood Regional Hospital's new psychiatric unit w/o feeding patients and money to Meridian Behavioral Health which is directed by Joe Ferraro who is a retired SMC LME employee?

The speaker this coming Thursday at the Haywood NAMI meeting (see information below) is Meg Hudson speaking about the matter of the new psychiatric inpatient unit which is a very needed thing. And Doug Trantham, Director of Emergency Services at SMC LME is an honorable man w/ a good reputation.

Nevertheless, just a couple of weeks ago SMC LME Director Tom McDevitt, was removed as associated w/ his daughter and wife working at SMC LME and in particular, his wife was a real estate agent and SMC LME had real estate interests.

We've ALWAYS had Meridian right in the middle of SMC LME's business.

And now, as per the NAMI Haywood newsletter which came out October 12, 2008, I understand that a person whom I don't know and have nothing negative or positive to say about at this point in time-----is working part-time for Meridian and part-time for SMC LME and is going to be in the key position of creating referrals.

NAMI Haywood meeting is Thursday, October 16, 2008, 7:30 pm, at a local church in Waynesville, NC, one block down the street, going towards Frog Level, from the main Waynesville library (same side of the road). You go into the glass doors on the side street of that church and meander around and listen for voices.

Yes, I know, terribly vague. I can give directions if people want them: 404 964 5338 or I'm quite sure that the president Suzanne Gernandt (sgernandt@earthlink.net) would be glad to give them to you or the vice president, Patricia Meyer (pameyer01234@yahoo.com)

To have a provider company's employee acting as the main interface for an inpatient psychiatric unit is no different than having BCBSNC 'liason' employees who are SUPPOSED to interface w/ the state legislature standing committee that oversees BCBSNC----but who in fact simply report back to BCBSNC w/ 'insider' news----best I can tell from trying to understand why BCBSNC will not pay for any screening colonoscopies in western NC except for one office based practice in Boone, NC.

I'll be at that NAMI Haywood meeting to ask Meg Hudson how she intends to deal w/ this matter. I do not interface w/ SMC LME anymore and so I have nothing to gain as re: this question.

It appears that SMC LME continues to have as an agenda the furthering and protection of Meridian Behavioral Health Services while diminishing the ability of other professional providers to work w/ clients within the catchment area of SMC LME as associated with no outpatient therapy except as associated with Community Support Services which is constantly being defunded.

You guessed it: that's why I am no longer affiliated w/ SMC LME in terms of attempting to work w/ their state funded clients via the Endorsed Provider company that I was demanded to affiliate with in order to be able to do such----as associated w/ NC Mental Health reform requirements.