Post by rocket on Jun 11, 2014 17:06:31 GMT -6
www.mywebtimes.com/news/local/st-mary-s-hospital-to-cut-maternity-home-health-services/article_f67fb323-e77c-5819-bb8b-938dbd482dd0.html
St. Mary's Hospital announced Tuesday its plan to eliminate maternity and home health services in Streator.
President and CEO John Flanders expects the maternity unit will close Friday, July 25, and home health services will end Friday, June 27. The move is expected to impact 25 employees in the two units. Coupled with 127 position eliminations since 2011, the hospital now employs about 370 full- and part-time employees.
"It's very difficult to do this," Flanders told The Times Tuesday. "It is hard to impact colleagues, but necessary for the health of the ministry going forward. What we're trying to do is get some of the bleeding to stop. We've prepared a budget that just got approved and will have us in the black next year."
Flanders said St. Mary's, like many hospitals in the U.S., is experiencing declining inpatient volumes along with reductions in payments from the Medicaid and Medicare programs. In addition, he said, Streator and surrounding communities are faced with a declining and aging population and challenges around recruitment of physicians.
"Due to these factors, St. Mary’s has conducted an extensive evaluation of what services it can continue to maintain to fulfill its mission of providing high-quality health care services to the community," he said.
Flanders attributed the decision to close the maternity department to limited access to physicians practicing in the region who deliver babies. Currently there are two local OB/GYNs and two family practice physicians who include obstetrics in their practices.
"As a result, more maternity services are being provided outside of Streator," he said. "St. Mary’s is coordinating with area hospitals, including OSF facilities in Ottawa and Pontiac, to ensure expectant mothers in Streator have seamless access to care."
There are about 50 home health providers in La Salle County and while St. Mary's has been the key provider for services in Streator, it has not been for outside the community, Flanders said.
"Our physicians in Streator don't tend to use a lot of home health," he said. "We're losing a significant amount of money on that service."
Flanders does not know how much the elimination of the two services will impact the bottom line.
Flanders said the hospital will work directly with the affected employees to help them find new employment. The affected workers also will receive severance packages, access to an employee assistance program for six months and continuation of select benefits consistent with federal guidelines.
“St. Mary’s remains committed to providing a wide array of health care services to the community as it has for the past 125 years. The decision to discontinue maternity and home health services provides an opportunity to rededicate resources to such areas as emergency services and surgery so that we can continue to provide Streator residents with life-saving health care services close to home.”
May as well sell St Mary's hospital to osf St Francis hospital in Peoria.
better doing that then to have no hospital at all in Streator Which is the next cut after this.
Someone needs to do an investigation of where the money is going.
You just don't go out and renovate the hospital build a new emergency room and then start cutting services and laying off people afterwards.
Something just doesn't seem right here.
St. Mary's Hospital announced Tuesday its plan to eliminate maternity and home health services in Streator.
President and CEO John Flanders expects the maternity unit will close Friday, July 25, and home health services will end Friday, June 27. The move is expected to impact 25 employees in the two units. Coupled with 127 position eliminations since 2011, the hospital now employs about 370 full- and part-time employees.
"It's very difficult to do this," Flanders told The Times Tuesday. "It is hard to impact colleagues, but necessary for the health of the ministry going forward. What we're trying to do is get some of the bleeding to stop. We've prepared a budget that just got approved and will have us in the black next year."
Flanders said St. Mary's, like many hospitals in the U.S., is experiencing declining inpatient volumes along with reductions in payments from the Medicaid and Medicare programs. In addition, he said, Streator and surrounding communities are faced with a declining and aging population and challenges around recruitment of physicians.
"Due to these factors, St. Mary’s has conducted an extensive evaluation of what services it can continue to maintain to fulfill its mission of providing high-quality health care services to the community," he said.
Flanders attributed the decision to close the maternity department to limited access to physicians practicing in the region who deliver babies. Currently there are two local OB/GYNs and two family practice physicians who include obstetrics in their practices.
"As a result, more maternity services are being provided outside of Streator," he said. "St. Mary’s is coordinating with area hospitals, including OSF facilities in Ottawa and Pontiac, to ensure expectant mothers in Streator have seamless access to care."
There are about 50 home health providers in La Salle County and while St. Mary's has been the key provider for services in Streator, it has not been for outside the community, Flanders said.
"Our physicians in Streator don't tend to use a lot of home health," he said. "We're losing a significant amount of money on that service."
Flanders does not know how much the elimination of the two services will impact the bottom line.
Flanders said the hospital will work directly with the affected employees to help them find new employment. The affected workers also will receive severance packages, access to an employee assistance program for six months and continuation of select benefits consistent with federal guidelines.
“St. Mary’s remains committed to providing a wide array of health care services to the community as it has for the past 125 years. The decision to discontinue maternity and home health services provides an opportunity to rededicate resources to such areas as emergency services and surgery so that we can continue to provide Streator residents with life-saving health care services close to home.”
May as well sell St Mary's hospital to osf St Francis hospital in Peoria.
better doing that then to have no hospital at all in Streator Which is the next cut after this.
Someone needs to do an investigation of where the money is going.
You just don't go out and renovate the hospital build a new emergency room and then start cutting services and laying off people afterwards.
Something just doesn't seem right here.