Parent company of Boise psychiatric hospital goes bankrupt

A company that owns one of Idaho's only independent psychiatric hospitals has declared bankruptcy, putting the future of the facility in question.

The Idaho Statesman reports Safe Haven Healthcare is continuing to operate its Boise hospital and three assisted living and skilled nursing facilities in Bellevue and Wendell, but some employees have quit and others are relying on a judge's orders to get their paychecks.

Safe Haven owner Scott Burpee says the financial crisis was caused in part by a fire that gutted the company's Pocatello hospital last fall, along with a failed buyout by an employee. The company has faced other financial and operational problems recently, including an inspection that revealed severe problems that contributed to patient deaths and fines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The Boise hospital is one of only two Idaho psychiatric hospitals not owned and operated by the state or a larger regional hospital system.

___

Information from: Idaho Statesman, http://www.idahostatesman.com\