Hospitals across the U.S. are continuing to scale back services as financial pressures, shifting patient volumes and rising operational costs reshape care delivery.
In the last month, systems have moved to suspend home health and hospice programs, close an ASC and phase out obstetrics and maternity care, among others.
Here are five hospitals or health systems announcing plans to shutter services in the last month:
1. Minot, N.D.-based Trinity Health is suspending its home health and outpatient hospice services. The nonprofit integrated health system, which serves northwest and central North Dakota as well as eastern Montana, said the decision followed a thorough review of its current operations.
2. Baltimore-based LifeBridge Health will close its Ellicott City, Md., ASC because of low procedure volumes. The freestanding ASC’s closure will affect 23 employees and is expected to take effect between March 7 and April 6, according to a Feb. 6 WARN notice.
3. Franklin, Ind.-based Johnson Memorial Health plans to phase out obstetrics services and close the maternity care center on its Franklin campus. The system will also implement additional cost-cutting measures, including workforce reductions.
4. Providence Mission Hospital Laguna Beach (Calif.) launched a multiyear planning process to phase out acute care and emergency services. The hospital cited low inpatient demand and the high cost of needed renovations at the 1959-built facility.
5. Driggs, Idaho-based Teton Valley Health Care laid off 26 employees, or around 10% of its 276-person workforce, on Jan. 22 and 23 and plans to close its infusion clinic amid financial pressures.
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