Albany, N.Y.-based St. Peter's Health Partners has received a cease-and-desist letter from the state Department of Health ordering against shutting down beds or services at its Troy, N.Y.-based Samaritan Hospital's Burdett Birth Center, a spokesperson for St. Peter's Health Partners confirmed in a statement shared with Becker's.
"St. Peter's Health Partners immediately responded to the Department of Health's letter, reassuring them that we had not and would not be taking any action to close beds prior to the Department's approval of a closure plan," the spokesperson said.
Obtained by Becker's, the Dec. 26 letter addressed the health system's president and COO Steven Hanks, MD, and said that closure of the birth center's beds or services without approval could result in $2,000 per day in civil penalties and would be unlawful.
"Samaritan Hospital has not submitted a closure plan for obstetrical services although the hospital has informed staff that the hospital has ceased recruiting new staff to provide obstetrical services at the Burdett Center," the letter said.
The letter also informed Dr. Hanks that in order to close beds or services, they must receive approval from the Department of Health.
The letter comes after the health system delayed closure plans for the hospital's birth center last October due to community concerns regarding care access and transportation barriers.
"Although we have experienced some staff attrition since informing the public of our intent to close the unit, Samaritan Hospital continues to employ sufficient staff to cover the scope of services provided," the spokesperson told Becker's.
Since the announcement, the hospital has also taken several measures to ensure staffing schedules are filled out, including offering incentives for night shifts and securing shifts for nurses to serve on a per diem basis. St. Peter's Health is part of Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health, and is also using staffing from Trinity's First Choice internal staffing agency, the spokesperson said.
"Our maternity unit staffing plan for the month of January is complete, and is intended to meet all needs of the unit's expected patient volume," the spokesperson told Becker's. "We want to re-emphasize that Samaritan Hospital has not closed beds or reduced services on its maternity unit."
St. Peter's Health has now submitted its closure plan, which is under the department's review, the state's DOH said in a statement shared with Becker's.
"Meanwhile, the directive of the letter is still in effect as the Department has not yet fully reviewed or approved the closure plan," the statement said.