Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling, W.Va., and East Ohio Regional Hospital in Martins Ferry are slated to close within three months, according to The Intelligencer.
President and CEO Daniel C. Dunmyer cited mounting financial losses as one of the factors forcing the hospitals to shut down. He also placed blame on a local competitor's alleged violations of the Anti-Kickback and Stark Law.
"OVMC, EORH, and their physician practices have lost more than $37 million over the past 2 years as they struggled to overcome declining volumes, declining reimbursement, and the substantial harm caused by the conduct alleged by the government in United States of America ex. rel. Louis Longo v. Wheeling Hospital, Inc., R & V Associates, LTD., and Ronald L. Violi, United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia Case No. 5:19-cv-00192-JPB," reads the statement from Mr. Dunmyer.
Officials decided to initiate the closure process after failing to secure a strategic partner or buyer for the hospitals. Mr. Dunmyer said the search involved discussions with more than 15 health systems and providers, according to The Intelligencer.
"OVMC and EORH will immediately begin working with federal, state, and local agencies to develop a definitive timeline for the closure of both facilities," Mr. Dunmyer said, according to the report. "The closure process for facilities like OVMC and EORH typically takes 60 to 90 days and OVMC and EORH will share a definitive timeline with all interested parties in the coming days."
Access the full article from The Intelligencer here.
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