The board of directors at Lake Erie Regional Health System has decided to close Lake Shore Health Care Center, a 220-bed hospital in Irving, N.Y., effective Jan. 31, 2014.
According to a statement published at WGRZ, all Lake Shore inpatients will be gradually transferred to Brooks Memorial Hospital, the flagship hospital of LERHS based in Dunkirk, N.Y. The closure will also result in all 460 Lake Shore employees losing their jobs. The hospital still has a remote shot of staying open, as LERHS requested a 90-day window to look for potential buyers.
System officials said closing Lake Shore was necessary due to "serious financial challenges" for both the hospital and the system. Lake Shore alone is projected to lose $7 million in 2013, a figure officials said could put the system on a path to bankruptcy "if nothing were done to rectify the situation," according to the statement.
"This was a difficult decision that needed to be made, and we feel deeply for every community member and employee that this move will negatively impact," said Christopher Lanski, LERHS board chairman, in the statement. "However, we strongly believe this was the only decision that would allow us to continue providing health services in other parts of our community through Brooks Memorial Hospital and our urgent and primary care facilities, and we pledge to make the transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved."
Brooks Memorial Hospital would be the only remaining acute-care hospital within LERHS if Lake Shore closes. LERHS, located just southwest of Buffalo, N.Y., also operates several primary care centers and urgent care clinics throughout its service area.
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