Illinois hospital closes, terminates staff

Galesburg (Ill.) Cottage Hospital closed Jan. 8 and its workers were told via email that their employment was terminated, according to The Register-Mail.

"Due to sudden unforeseen circumstances, Galesburg Cottage Hospital … will be temporarily closing and your employment is terminated today," CEO Sanjay Sharma, PhD, wrote in a Jan. 7 email to employees obtained by The Register-Mail

Dr. Sharma attributed the decision to shut down the hospital to CMS' decision to terminate the facility's Medicare contract. He said the closure is temporary but didn't provide a timeline for when the facility may reopen. 

"While we disagree with the findings and decision, the recent notice from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has made it necessary to temporarily suspend all services at Galesburg Cottage Hospital effective immediately," Dr. Sharma said in the email to staff. 

Galesburg Cottage Hospital will not receive Medicare reimbursement for inpatient services provided to patients admitted after Jan. 14, CMS said in a termination notice published Dec. 29. The agency said the hospital is not in compliance with several Medicare rules, including those related to patient rights and nursing services. 

All patients were discharged or transferred from Galesburg Cottage Hospital. Some patients were transferred to OSF HealthCare's hospitals in Galesburg and Monmouth, Ill. 

"We are deeply concerned about the patients, families and healthcare professionals impacted by the temporary closure of Cottage Hospital," a spokesperson for Peoria-based OSF HealthCare said in a statement to The Register-Mail. "OSF HealthCare St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg and OSF Holy Family Medical Center in Monmouth have been receiving an influx of patients at both hospitals, and we are working diligently to meet the needs of the community."

Read the full article from The Register-Mail here

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