North Shore Medical Center in Salem, Mass., part of Boston-based Partners HealthCare, is planning to close down its inpatient pediatric unit, according to a Salem News report. Hospital officials gave reasons for the closure at a Massachusetts Department of Public Health hearing on April 20.
One of the main reasons for the closing of the 24-bed inpatient pediatric unit is that very few patients stay overnight at the hospital anymore. David Roberts, MD, president of the medical center, told those in attendance that on average, two patients stay in the unit per day. Overall, the "inpatient pediatric census has dropped nearly 40 percent from 2014 to 2016," Salem News reports. Dr. Roberts also noted that the hospital will continue to provide pediatric care on an outpatient basis, as well as through the hospital's emergency department and network of pediatricians and family physicians.
However, nurses, pediatricians and local officials were unhappy with the medical center's plans. They expressed their concern regarding patient safety and access to care. With the closure of the unit, the community would be forced to travel further for inpatient pediatric services, increasing costs and stress for families.
Additionally, Jeanne Paolilli, RN, who has provided care in the pediatric inpatient unit for 36 years, said that the data Dr. Roberts presented is not an accurate reflection of inpatient pediatric numbers. This is because some children stay in the unit with an "inpatient status," while others stay under "observation status."
The move to close to unit comes on the heels of the medical center's plans to close its Union Hospital campus in Lynn, Mass., in October 2019.