Warren, Ohio-based Insight Hospital and Medical Center Trumbull have stopped admitting nonemergent patients, effective immediately, following a bankruptcy court-approved update with former hospital owner Dallas-based Steward Health Care.
Flint, Mich.-based Insight Health System officially took over the hospital and Warren-based Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital from Steward in early November. Steward sought Chapter 11 protection May 6, 2024, and has worked over the last year to sell or close many of its 31 hospitals.
The news comes after Steward received March 11 bankruptcy court approval to sell certain management functions and assets to Golden Sun TSA Services, an affiliate of Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health, affecting 25 of its former hospitals, including Insight Hospital and Medical Center Trumbull. It also offers continued employment for more than 600 employees, according to a Quorum Health news release shared with Becker's.
"All locations, including Insight Hospital and Medical Center Trumbull, Insight Rehabilitation Hospital Hillside, and outpatient centers in Austintown and Cortland, will remain open to provide outpatient services including outpatient surgeries, cardiac cath procedures, lab, imaging, rehabilitation and any other outpatient procedures," a spokesperson for Insight Health System said in a March 11 statement shared with Becker's. "The emergency room will remain open 24/7 to stabilize, treat and transfer patients, if needed."
Behavioral health admissions will still be accepted at Insight Hospital and Medical Center Trumbull. Patient record requests will also remain the same.
The sale involves the assumption and assignment of multiple contracts and leases at Steward's former hospitals. It allows Golden Sun to take over Steward's transition service operations, free of encumbrances and existing debts, ensuring the for-profit health system's financial obligations are transferred to Golden Sun and facilitating settlements with stakeholders of the affected hospitals like operators, financial lenders and landlords.
Services under the new agreement include patient billing, insurance and claims processing, quality reporting, IT security, maintenance and management of electronic health records, and revenue recovery. Employees will be transitioned to Quorum Health the week of March 10, the Quorum Health news release said.
"Our patients are the ones who suffer the most from this instability," De Anna Fuchilla, chair of the Hillside local unit of the Ohio Nurses Association, said in a news release shared with Becker's. "Every day, we’re doing everything we can to make sure they get the care they need, but the uncertainty caused by Steward’s bankruptcy is creating fear and confusion. Our patients deserve better. They deserve stability, compassion and a healthcare system that puts them first."
Becker's has reached out to Steward for more information and will update this story should more information become available.
Editor's note: This story was updated March 12 at 4:45 p.m. CT.