04.26.12 Cuts to mental-health services at Interim LSU Public Hospital were "a punch in the stomach," but they have forced necessary conversations and better identification of high-risk patients, according to city health commissioner Dr. Karen DeSalvo. "The system has started to talk to each other in a way that's more meaningful," DeSalvo said Wednesday during a forum on the impact of the cuts hosted by the nonprofit Bureau of Governmental Research.

The city's mental-health framework still is underfinanced, she said. But in the wake of the cuts, officials and advocates found new ways to work more efficiently, she said.