A number of healthcare organizations have recently closed medical departments or ended services at facilities to shore up finances, focus on more in-demand services or address staffing shortages.
Here are department closures or services ending, announced, advanced or finalized that Becker's has reported since Dec. 28:
1. Renton, Wash.-based Providence said Jan. 12 it is closing its outpatient lab service line across multiple California hospitals to strengthen care delivery and partnerships with other lab service organizations.
2. Albany, N.Y.-based St. Peter's Health Partners submitted a closure plan for its Troy, N.Y.-based Samaritan Hospital's Burdett Birth Center to the state Department of Health. The decision comes after St. Peter's received a cease-and-desist letter from the health department ordering against shutting down beds or services at the center.
3. New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital is shuttering its midwifery services March 3. The decision is part of a plan to evolve its perinatal care model and care teams, a NewYork-Presbyterian spokesperson said.
4. Lewiston-based Central Maine Healthcare ended urgent care services Jan. 12 at its Maine Urgent Care location on Sabattus Street in the city. The health system said ending urgent care services at the location will allow it to focus on primary and preventive care services and help it address workforce shortages and rising operating costs. The location will continue to offer X-ray and lab services.
5. Troy, Ohio-based Upper Valley Medical Center, part of Dayton, Ohio-based Premier Health, is shuttering its labor and delivery unit on Feb. 29. Declining birth rate and physician recruitment challenges were cited for the unit's planned closure.
6. Kettering (Ohio) Health plans to close its emergency department at Kettering Health Piqua on Feb. 1. Over the last 18 months, there has been a significant shift in the type of care needed, leading to fewer "true emergency cases" and a rising demand for other types of care, the health system said.
7. The Minnesota Department of Health will hold a public hearing Jan. 17 regarding the planned closure of Sanford Bemidji (Minn.) Medical Center's inpatient rehabilitation unit.
8. Blacksburg, Va.-based LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, part of HCA Virginia Health System, is temporarily discontinuing its obstetrics services, effective April 1.
9. West Lake Hills, Texas-based the Hospital at Westlake Medical Center abruptly closed its emergency department Dec. 29 until further notice. The physician-owned hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September and cited significant debt.
10. Smithtown, N.Y.-based St. Catherine of Siena Hospital, part of Long Island, N.Y.-based Catholic Health, is shutting down its maternity ward Feb. 1.