Naked City

Seton Healthcare Network announced this week that it's picking up the tab -- between $750,000 and $1 million -- to salvage a cash-strapped psychiatric residency program that had operated out of Austin State Hospital since 1955. A.S.H. was one of three state psychiatric facilities to lose its doctor's training program in the face of steep budget cuts. As of Sept. 1, the residency program operates out of Seton Shoal Creek, which provides psychiatric care for children and adults.

Seton's willingness to take over the program won high-fives from Travis Co. Probate Judge Guy Herman and other civic leaders who joined Seton Healthcare Network officials at a Monday afternoon press conference. Less than a year ago, Herman was one of the most vociferous critics of Seton's plans to build its own children's medical center to replace the city-owned Children's Hospital, which Seton leases and operates. Now, however, Herman says he's happy that Seton is shouldering some of the funding responsibilities that the state used to provide, and he urged other for-profit medical facilities to do their part to help Seton "make this residency program work."

"I don't see any sign that our state leaders have recognized they're going to have to increase funding for mental health services," Herman told the crowd. "Rather," he said, "what I hear is that they want to decrease funding and push more [of the responsibility] on our local communities."