The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board on March 19 moved to block Endeavor Health’s plan to eliminate inpatient psychiatric services at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, The Daily Herald reported.
In January, the Evanston, Ill.-based health system said it plans to close a 52-bed inpatient psychiatric unit on the Arlington Heights campus April 11, citing a decrease in demand and a tightening focus on outpatient and community-based care. About 100 behavioral health employees, along with a “small number” of staff that work in other parts of the hospital were notified of layoffs.
On March 19, state regulators deadlocked in a 4-4 vote, effectively blocking Endeavor from moving forward with the closure. In a statement to Becker’s, the health system noted its certificate of exemption application had been deemed complete — a status that typically results in approval under state law.
“We follow all state and regulatory requirements, and our COE application was deemed complete,” a spokesperson for Endeavor said in a statement. “Continuing to operate this unit, even at a reduced capacity, is unsustainable and could present many challenges, including staffing, safety and efficiency and impact our ability to deliver care our patients deserve and our team members are dedicated to providing. Our focus remains on the transition of inpatient behavioral health services at NCH and supporting our team members through the transition.”
Endeavor has said the closure would not negatively affect access, citing an excess of inpatient psychiatric beds in the region and the system’s 204-bed capacity across other facilities, including Linden Oaks Behavioral Health in Naperville and hospitals in Highland Park, Evanston and Chicago.