Numerous healthcare organizations recently shuttered medical units or terminated services to shore up finances, focus on more in-demand services or improve patient care lapses.
Here are seven hospitals and health systems that have announced closures, completed closures or ceased medical services temporarily or permanently in the past month, as reported by Becker's Hospital Review, beginning with the most recent.
1. Ballad Health to close 4 urgent care clinics, lay off 42 employees
Ballad Health, a new health system formed by the merger of Kingsport, Tenn.-based Wellmont Health System and Johnson City, Tenn.-based Mountain States Health Alliance, will close four urgent care clinics over the next several months as part of a consolidation effort.
2. Staffing shortages force California hospital to close ED
Coalinga (Calif.) Regional Medical Center permanently closed its emergency department May 3 as a result of staffing shortages.
3. Sparrow Carson Hospital to close inpatient obstetrics unit, resulting in layoffs
Carson City, Mich.-based Sparrow Carson Hospital will shutter its inpatient obstetrics ward May 25, which will result in an unspecified number of layoffs.
4. Lutheran Health Network to halt childbirth services at St. Joseph Hospital
Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Lutheran Health Network stopped providing childbirth services at its Fort Wayne-based St. Joseph Hospital May 6.
5. Shriners Hospital for Children Minneapolis to sift out inpatient care
Shriners Hospital for Children in Minneapolis will halt inpatient care and instead transition to only outpatient services.
6. Texas hospital to shutter labor and delivery unit
College Station (Texas) Medical Center will close its labor and delivery unit July 16 — a change that will come as part of the hospital's new strategic direction.
7. Maine hospital to suspend infusion services in cost-cutting move
Calais (Maine) Regional Hospital will close its infusion services department, dubbed the Rose Room, effective May 1.