OBSERVER Photo One of the dumpsters at Lakeshore Hospital last week was filled with equipment, broken desks and other assorted items that were removed while staff was still caring for patients.

IRVING — Located behind the front entrance of the Lakeshore Hospital building where a last-chance rally of support was being held one week ago to save this institution was another dirty secret from the Brooks-TLC Hospital System Inc. board of directors and administration. Two large rectangular dumpsters were filled with equipment, furniture and numerous other items that were discarded over the previous days while paid health-care staff were being asked to care for patients in the behavioral health unit and those admitted to the emergency department.

Talk about a hostile work environment.

It was already tough enough for those who were so committed to their work that they remained at Lakeshore even after the new year understanding it was likely a hopeless situation. These staff members, just like the rest of the community, found out on Dec. 3 of the impending closure of the facility.

Like any individual committed to the well being of others for others, they did not just accept the news delivered at the beginning of the holiday season. They fought it by attending rallies of support and state meetings when possible.

These professionals also continued to deliver high-quality care and comfort to patients. They did it while facing the trauma of knowing they may not have a job the next day or while witnessing Brooks employees take certain items and equipment to the Dunkirk location or that dumpster out back.

Their service persevered in crisis. The thanks from their employer? A notice calculatingly delivered by the board and administration at 1:10 p.m. during that Jan. 31 rally announced the abrupt Irving closing that went against the recommendation of a state Office of Mental Health panel.

“I guess those are intimidation and scare tactics,” state Sen. George Borrello said during that Jan. 31 rally of management’s tactics. “I applaud these folks for putting up with that and still remaining here under those conditions.”

But time was limited. On Sunday at 7 p.m., a final call for the facility was captured on a Facebook video that through Wednesday evening had more than 21,500 views.

“This is Lakeshore Hospital signing off for the last time,” said staff member Bonnie Cave. “Our status is now closed. Please divert all ambulances at this time. Thank you for your service.”

It was an unsettling and emotional ending — with plenty of unanswered questions that only Brooks-TLC and Kaleida Health can answer. By all accounts, and to no one’s surprise, board members and administrators are not talking much with local, state or federal officials through last week.

State Office of Mental Health, which issued the directive for the Irving facility to remain open, seems perplexed on how to respond to the defiance. When reached by e-mail this week, officials said their comments from last week still stand.

“(State Office of Mental Health) has not issued a decision regarding the application from Brooks-TLC to close the hospital’s inpatient psychiatric unit,” said James Plastiras, spokesman. “Should the hospital close the inpatient unit without (state) approval, they will be subject to potential regulatory enforcement actions.”

Through all this chaos and ineptitude, residents here are somehow supposed to still have an ounce of faith in this current administration and board to move health care forward in this region. That is an extremely tough ask when you consider the dismal 12-year record. Consider:

¯ This group last week outright defied a state panel’s recommendation by closing the Irving hospital while showing total disregard for its community.

¯ It has run deficits that total more than $30 million over the last five years.

¯ Even with millions of dollars in state subsidies, it refuses to be accountable to community members and elected leaders.

¯ The only full-time chief executive officer this board actually hired was terminated and then handsomely paid off for an additional two years in a separation agreement that totaled more than $200,000.

¯ It entered into two high-priced management agreements — one with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and later with Kaleida Health — after that CEO dismissal in 2013 with both contract costs exceeding $300,000 per year for seven years.

¯ It has yet to begin spending the $70 million set aside by the state more than three years ago to build a new hospital.

That is so much waste and mismanagement it makes the Lakeshore dumpster issue seem trivial. But there is still no excuse for Brooks-TLC, an organization struggling financially — and being kept above water by taxpayer dollars — to be discarding items and materials as though it was living life from the penthouse.

“Every time they do something like this, that has a negative impact on the community,” Borrello said of the Lakeshore shuttering, “it’s going to have a negative impact on their ability to get the confidence that they’re going to need from Albany … for that (new hospital) project.”

Brooks-TLC and Kaleida officials have said as recently as December that the Fredonia build is still happening. But the damage has been done.

Their words, at this point, have absolutely no credibility.

John D’Agostino is the OBSERVER publisher. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 366-3000, ext. 401.