Nederland, Texas-based post-acute facility Mid Jefferson Extended Care Hospital closed and the 48 full-time clinical and non-clinical staff have been laid off, Fox affiliate KFDM reported May 26.
Bossier City, La.-based Priority Hospital Group, which owned and operated the facility, said the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency created the "perfect storm" leading to MId Jefferson's closure, according to the report.
Mark Price, Priority Hospital Group president, said in a statement to the news outlet that the end of the public health emergency left speciality hospitals such as Mid Jefferson with "higher costs, labor shortages and outdated admission criteria, disqualifying many sick individuals who actually did qualify for Mid Jeff's level of care due to their severity of illness and intensity of care needed."
"These same patients will become more confused and limited in terms of patient choice than before," Mr. Price said in the statement. "The outdated and misguided Medicare admission rules that were relaxed during the COVID emergency are back in full force as of May 11. The sudden and immediate cessation of provisions afforded to certain types of hospitals like Mid Jeff during the pandemic, ended this month without consideration of the impact on communities and access to care."
Another facility in Beaumont, Texas remains open, according to the report.