Two psychiatric units at Butler Hospital have temporarily closed as the strike at Rhode Island’s largest mental health facility grinds on, forcing patients to seek care in emergency rooms that struggle to provide the treatment they need.
The hospital’s chief operating officer, Mary E. Marran, said the two-month strike has forced Butler to close about 40 psychiatric beds. The hospital typically serves about 200 psychiatric patients at a time.
Care New England has brought in temporary replacement workers at Butler, and a small number of employees that were part of the union have crossed the picket line to continue working…