Pittsburgh-based UPMC is transitioning the 25-bed rural hospital UPMC Lock Haven (Pa.) to an outpatient emergency department.
In 2017, UPMC acquired the rural hospital from Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health. After investing $4 million into the hospital, UPMC Lock Haven posted operating losses of $4.4 million in 2022, according to a Jan. 20 UPMC news release.
UPMC plans to complete the transition by April 20.
UPMC plans to retain 100 percent of the staff from the Lock Haven hospital by relocating them to different UPMC facilities in the region.
"As an organization, we must emphasize innovation and quality. In health care, one size does not fit all, and models of care that are effective for larger, urban hospitals are not necessarily effective for a smaller, rural hospital like UPMC Lock Haven," Patti Jackson-Gehris, president of UPMC in North Central Pennsylvania, said in the news release.
The plan, however, is drawing criticism from Lock Haven Mayor Joel Long, who told pennlive.com that the prospect of losing the hospital's services is "scary."
Mr. Long told pennlive.com he was not alerted of the decision to turn the hospital into an outpatient ER until UPMC announced it.
"God forbid we have another pandemic and need all the beds we can possibly get," Mr. Long said. "It's going to be a big transition."