Williamston, N.C.-based Martin General Hospital is closing its intensive care unit Aug. 1 due to staffing difficulties, NBC affiliate WITN reports.
If patients require ICU care, 49-bed Martin General is coordinating for transfers with ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, N.C., which is about 30 miles away. Martin General’s medical-surgical and emergency departments remain open.
The hospital attributed the closure of its ICU to a deficit of nurses.
"Like many rural hospitals across the nation, our hospital has struggled to recruit nurses despite ongoing efforts," John Jacobson, Martin General Hospital CEO, said. "The critical shortage levels are even more challenging in rural areas."