South City Hospital, a 178-bed facility in St. Louis, plans to close in the coming weeks because of financial challenges, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Aug. 3.
The 154-year-old hospital has been under receivership for the past few months. It began transferring patients to other facilities this week, and will begin winding down the facility Aug. 4.
Daniel Wiggins, the hospital's receiver, told employees in a letter obtained by the Post-Dispatch that the hospital has begun discontinuing services. Some employees were laid off Aug. 4, but others may be employed for the next several weeks.
South City Hospital, which has about 600 employees, has funds for its Aug. 10 payroll and to cover staff asked to stay on for the coming weeks, according to the report.
A significant portion of the hospital's patients are uninsured or underinsured, and it has changed owners multiple times in recent years, drifting in and out of bankruptcy court, according to the Post-Dispatch.
SA Acquisition Group purchased the hospital out of bankruptcy in January 2021 for about $18 million. The facility, previously known as St. Alexius Hospital, was then renamed South City Hospital.
The hospital did not respond to Becker's request for comment.