CHS Bill To Bypass County Approval Passes Senate, Now Parked

Mecklenburg County officials say they've had some success in at least stalling a bill that would allow Carolinas HealthCare System to bypass county approval of a psychiatric hospital. The state Senate passed the bill yesterday. But County Manager Harry Jones says the bill's sponsor Fletcher Hartsell has agreed to park it until CHS gives the county more financial information about the 44 bed facility and its impact on another psychiatric facility owned by the county. Jones says the hospital chain hasn't made the case that more psychiatric beds are needed.