The clinic was owned by McCurtain Memorial Hospital in Idabel, Okla., which made the decision to close mid-April after an assessment.
The clinic has been operating at a loss since it opened, the hospital’s President and CEO Brian Whitfield said in a statement with Becker’s, and was mainly used by tourists visiting Hochatown.
Hochatown Mayor Dian Jordan, PhD, told Becker’s in a statement that her team had not been provided with data to support the sudden closure — a loss ahead of tourism season. Town leadership has begun looking into alternative or emergency healthcare services, Dr. Jordan added.
Other hospitals have also recently been forced to close clinics or shutter clinic services as practice costs continue to rise and provider shortages persist.
MercyOne’s specialty clinic in Des Moines is ending gynecologic oncology surgical services June 1. Additionally, Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health plans to close Duchesne Clinic in Kansas City on June 1.
ASCs have the opportunity to expand outpatient services when hospitals close clinics in their area, as well as a potential increase in patients and labor pool.
“As hospitals evaluate and close or ramp down in specific service lines, it can be a real opportunity for ASCs to capture new volume in a variety of specialties,” Jennifer Misajet, RN, interim chief nursing officer at Fresno, Calif.-based Saint Agnes Medical Center, told Becker’s in November. “Surgical patient volume in many specialties continues to migrate safely and appropriately to an ambulatory approach in both ASCs and hospitals. While service expansion may require ASCs to purchase specialty equipment and train staff, selectively focusing on growing volumes in specialties moving out of acute care can make sense for the revenue, productivity and utilization of the ASC.”
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.