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Posted: October 29, 2009

Dix employees will lose jobs when patient move is complete

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Raleigh, N.C. — Employees of Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh received notice Wednesday that about 300 positions will be eliminated with the planned move of patients from the downtown Raleigh mental hospital to the new Central Regional Hospital in Butner.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services plans to move about 100 patients by the beginning of next year. Dix employs about 800 people full-time. That number will be reduced to fewer than 500, according to Renee McCoy, department spokeswoman.

Current Dix employees will be eligible to apply for positions at the Butner location, she said. The number of jobs at the new hospital was not clear.

Over time, the state plans for Central Regional to replace both Dorothea Dix and John Umstead Hospital, which is also in Butner.

Because of an overall shortage of patient beds, Dix will stay open for at least three more years as an overflow unit and to house children and adolescents in need of long-term care.

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Latest Comments

yeah what a nice dog park this property will make..maybe there will be enough room for all the poor, sick patients roaming around the streets of raleigh!!! what a shame. you know these people will continue to migrate to this property, because this is all they know!!

fishfan
October 30, 2009 9:43 a.m.

so what's the BIG picture?....how does an equivalent degree of coverage occur?

dws
October 29, 2009 7:41 p.m.

Wonder-flippin-ful!!!

Praying for these people who have had one of the toughest jobs possible.

God bless.

RB

Spirit Warrior Woman - Rev. RB
October 29, 2009 5:09 p.m.

What a horrible thing to do to Dorothea Dix's legacy. Dix property should always be used for the mentally ill.

Caroline Marie
October 29, 2009 4:55 p.m.

dragonslayer, a few months ago I was part of a plan to drive the Raleigh Employees to the new Hospital. No way would you believe the trouble management was planning on going through because the employees didn't want to drive to the new hospital. It was to far. Some of those same people were involved in delaying the opening of the new hospital. As badly as some of us needed jobs, we still were concerned at the amount of tax payer money the management at the time at the hospital was willing to spent to get those regular employees to their work site. I bet some of the people about to be out of a job wishes they had been a little more cooperative! It not that long a drive..... On the Dix Hospital job. The plan was to drive employees to Butner, wait on the clock in Butner and bring them back to Raleigh. We were set to start, when the judge put a stop on the patient move! Now they will be driving themselves if they are able to get hired at the new hospital. What a difference a year makes...