Kalispell, Mont.-based Logan Health Medical Center will close its inpatient rehabilitation unit Feb. 3, the Daily Inter Lake reported Jan. 5.
Co-CEO Kevin Abell announced the closure to staff in a December email, citing increased demand for inpatient medical and surgical beds coinciding with declining admissions at the inpatient rehabilitation unit, the report said.
Of the 10 beds reserved for the unit as part of its official inpatient rehabilitation center designation, an average of 4.7 beds were utilized last year, with that number falling to 3.8 in September. After the unit's closure, the medical center will transition its 10 beds, and an additional three beds, to surgical beds, Cory Short, DO, the hospital's chief medical officer, told the news outlet.
The inpatient rehabilitation unit's medical director, Mark Weber, MD, plans to retire in April, according to the report.
"Decisions to discontinue a service are not made lightly. This decision was made based on a thoughtful, thorough evaluation by a team of clinicians and operational leaders," Dr. Short said in a statement shared with Becker's. "We believe transitioning the unit to care for surgical patients will allow us to better meet the demand for inpatient beds and reduce boarder hours in the emergency department."
"Over the next few months a workgroup will be completing the steps necessary to facilitate the transition, which we expect to be finalized in early spring," the statement said.
Editor's note: This article was updated Monday Jan. 6, 2025 at 4:30 pm CST.