Chicago hospital halts some services, cuts more than half its beds

Holy Cross Hospital in Chicago is scaling back services and reducing its bed count amid financial challenges, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The nonprofit hospital, which has been losing roughly $2 million a month since July, will go from 264 licensed beds to fewer than 110. It will also cut certain services, including the temporary suspension of OB/GYN care on Nov. 1, according to the report.

"All hospitals are looking at how to transform care delivery and responsibly allocate resources to address changing patient needs," Karen Teitelbaum, president and CEO of Chicago-based Sinai Health System, which operates Holy Cross Hospital, said in a release. "At Holy Cross Hospital, we have seen fewer births, as well as changes in demand for critical care and telemetry beds, so we are making changes in our programs and services to address those needs."

Officials said several factors are contributing to the hospital's financial challenges, including lower reimbursement rates from government payers and patient volume shifting from inpatient to outpatient care, according to the Chicago Tribune.   

"We really are making sure that whatever changes we make, we're ensuring we have ample beds of the right kind to continue to serve the community," Ms. Teitelbaum told the Chicago Tribune.

The hospital will cut 70 medical/surgical beds and consolidate two critical care units with a total of 20 beds into a single 10-bed unit.

Some positions may be affected by the changes, but officials don't expect a "large layoff" of employees, Sinai Health System Executive Vice President and COO Airica Steed told the Chicago Tribune.

Access the full Chicago Tribune article here.

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