Community HealthCare System will close the emergency room and all inpatient beds at its hospital facility in St. Marys, Kan.
The health system's board of directors voted to close the services April 23. Todd Willert, CEO of Community HealthCare, said in an April 27 news release that the decision comes after a decline in hospital and emergency service use and difficulty recruiting staff over the last several years. Additionally, the hospital's infrastructure, including call light and telemetry systems, needs updates that aren't feasible for the financially-strapped system, he said.
St. Marys' ER and inpatient services will end June 4. The hospital's clinic will remain open, and physical, occupational and speech therapy, X-ray, laboratory and home health services and others still will be available.
Community HealthCare, based in Onaga, Kan., is licensed for a 25-bed critical access hospital, with eight of the beds being at St. Marys and the rest at Onaga Community Hospital. Six staff positions were eliminated because of the closure. Affected staff can apply for other positions within CommunityHealthCare.