COLUMBUS — About 25 advocates for Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare lobbied state lawmakers Tuesday, Feb. 26, to fight Gov. Ted Strickland's plan to close the psychiatric hospital on June 30.

Doctors, medical students, local leaders and family members criticized the "short-sighted" plan that would send most of Twin Valley's 110 patients to Summit Behavioral Healthcare in Cincinnati.

"How would you like your loved one shipped miles away for health care that could be provided locally?" said Beavercreek resident Walt Lichtenberg, who spoke of Twin Valley's care for a family member.

The group made its case before the House Finance Committee at a hearing on $733 million in proposed cuts the Strickland administration says is needed to meet projected shortfalls in the state's $52.3 billion two-year budget.

Closing Twin Valley on Wayne Avenue would save the state $13 million in fiscal 2009, according to Jim Ignelzi, deputy director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health.

Ignelzi, who left the hearing before the Dayton group spoke, said ODMH will experience $31 million in cuts the next two years under the plan.

"We reduced our central office by 20 percent," Ignelzi said. "One out of every five staff, the position would be laid off or abolished as a result of this commitment to this overall budget reduction."

He said ODMH will reallocate 80 Twin Valley positions to Summit or mental health hospitals in Columbus or Toledo.

Close family support is critical in mental health recovery, Dr. Jerome J. Schulte Jr., medical director of psychiatry at Good Samaritan Hospital, told the committee. "Many of our patients' families don't have cars," he said. "They're not going to be able to make that trip down to Cincinnati."

Rep. Fred Strahorn, D-Dayton, a finance committee member, said he's not sure there's a "viable legislative option" to overturning Strickland's decision.