The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced the abrupt closure of the emergency department at Berwick (Pa.) Hospital Center due to a lack of staffing, according to WNEP.
The hospital's emergency department shut down Sept. 17, and a sign on the hospital's door directs patients needing emergency care to Geisinger Bloomsburg (Pa.) Hospital or Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton (Pa.).
Berwick Hospital Center is owned by Fayette Holdings, a private company that bought the hospital in 2020. Priyam Sharma, owner of the Fayette Holdings, plans to close the hospital in October and then transition it to a freestanding psychiatric facility.
The emergency department closure will not affect admissions to Berwick Hospital Center's behavioral health unit, according to WNEP.