The future of the Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) at the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, will be determined during a meeting early this (Wednesday morning). The CCMH Board of Trustees are slated to meet at 7:30-a.m. in Conference Room 1, to vote on whether the facility should remain open or other options. 

Options to be considered when the Trustees meet this morning, may include eliminating the mental health unit entirely, or downsizing it from 8- to 4-beds. The smaller facility would be relocated to the Special Care Unit after remodeling is complete. Hospital officials have said even if the BHU is relocated, it would still cost $250,000 per year to operate. 

An audit report showed the facility lost more than $344,000 in Fiscal Year 2011, and used-up more than $500,000 in funding.