Manchester, N.H.-based Elliot Hospital will no longer house its pediatric intensive care unit, effective May 20, according to a New Hampshire Union Leader report.
Here are three things to know about the closure.
1. Elliot Hospital attributed the closure to low patient volume. "The volume of patients in need of PICU-level care has been consistently low and seasonal since the PICU's inception [in 2011]," the hospital said, according to the report. "The challenges that stem from the low census are significant and directly impact staffing, safety and quality required for such a specialized service."
2. With the closure, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., will be the only hospital in the state with a dedicated pediatric intensive care unit, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader. However, Elliot Hospital will still have its newborn intensive care unit.
3. According to the report, Elliot Hospital said it is working with the pediatric intensive care unit nursing staff on potential job opportunities in a new department within Elliot Health System. "If we have staff who cannot be placed, or choose not to seek employment elsewhere within Elliot Health System, they will be provided a severance package," the hospital added.
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