Several hospitals are scaling back services for a variety of reasons, including financial challenges and staffing issues.
Below are nine hospitals that are cutting services.
1. Marietta, Ga.-based Wellstar Health System is closing the emergency department and ending inpatient care at Atlanta Medical Center South in May. The hospital will be converted into an outpatient site, providing primary and rehabilitative care. Inpatient services will be consolidated to Atlanta Medical Center's main campus, Wellstar said.
2. Audrain Community Hospital in Mexico, Mo., and the Callaway Community Hospital in Fulton, Mo., suspended all services March 25 to restructure operations. The hospitals furloughed 175 employees in April.
3. South Lincoln Medical Center in Kemmerer, Wyo., said it will stop providing labor and delivery services June 1, and the critical access hospital's operating room will no longer be open around the clock for emergency surgeries.
4. Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill suspended outpatient services April 5 and will suspend intensive care and surgical services by the end of May.
5. UVM Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone, N.Y., is closing the hospital's maternity unit and adopting a regional approach to obstetrical care, hospital officials said March 29. Hospital officials reported a more than 46 percent drop in births at Alice Hyde's maternity unit in fiscal year 2021 compared with fiscal year 2019.
6. Boston-based Tufts Children's Hospital is closing its pediatric inpatient units in July to convert its 41 pediatric inpatient beds to adult ICU and medical/surgical beds. Tufts will refer children to Boston Children's Hospital for care.
7. Mercyhealth received approval in March from the Illinois Health Facilities & Review Board to close 70 surgical beds at Javon Bea Hospital-Rockton in Rockford, Ill. Closing the beds is part of Mercyhealth's plan to turn the hospital into an outpatient facility.
8. Henrico Doctors' Hospital in Richmond, Va., ended pediatric inpatient services April 1. The hospital attributed the decision in part to a low number of patients. The hospital said it's seeing an increased demand for adult inpatient medical and surgical care. Although the pediatric units closed, the hospital continues to provide emergency medical care to children via designated emergency room space.
9. Ascension St. John Medical Center plans to close its pediatric intensive care and general pediatric inpatient care unit at the end of April. The Tulsa, Okla.-based hospital said the decision was based on a community needs assessment and analysis of services offered in the community. Pediatric ambulatory, surgical and neonatal ICU services will not be affected, the hospital said.