St. Joseph's Hospital in Elmira, N.Y., will close its emergency department June 1, according to TV station WENY.
Arnot Health, which owns 295-bed St. Joseph's Hospital, said shutting down the ED and consolidating those services with Arnot Ogden Medical Center in Elmira will result in savings for the health system.
"With an estimated $1 million in annual savings expected from this consolidation, this move is a vital part of our strategy to redefine the way we provide essential healthcare services to our community and to ensure the continued viability of our health system," Arnot Health President and CEO Jonathan Lawrence said, according to WENY.
The plan to consolidate ED services at the two hospitals has been in the works for months, but Arnot Health is speeding up the process due to COVID-19. As a result of the pandemic, ED volume at both hospitals has decreased by half, according to the report.