Illinois senators have expressed concerns over recent changes at hospitals Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare recently acquired from St. Louis-based Ascension.
In a May 20 letter to Prime Healthcare CEO Prem Reddy, MD, Illinois Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Richard Durbin highlighted changes made since the eight-hospital acquisition, including termination of obstetric and maternal care services at St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee and the temporary suspension of inpatient pediatric services at St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. The latter decision followed an average of less than one patient daily at the unit, according to Prime.
The senators noted that, as part of the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board’s approval for the change in ownership, Prime agreed not to make any material reductions or changes in the mix or level of services offered at any hospital to meet community needs. At the time, Prime also stated that no changes to the scope of services or the levels of care provided were anticipated to take place within 24 months.
“We sincerely urge your health system to immediately reconsider these decisions, as the consequences of these reductions hold the potential to strip patients of critical and specialized care, impose additional barriers to accessing care, and exacerbate the existing health care needs in the communities these hospitals serve,” the senators wrote.
In a statement shared with Becker’s on May 21, a Prime spokesperson said that all service line changes have adhered to regulatory guidelines and were communicated transparently with the Illinois Department of Public Health, the health facilities and services review board, staff, and local stakeholders.
“As an award-winning, national health system, we share the Senators’ goal of ensuring access to quality health care,” the spokesperson said. “Our highest priority is ensuring both quality and access, with low volume services not able to consistently deliver quality while not addressing community needs.”
The spokesperson added that the eight hospitals were losing nearly $200 million annually, a trajectory threatening patient care. Prime said it has preserved more than 13,000 jobs and created 1,000 new ones at its Illinois hospitals, investing in new technologies and service line expansions, such as neurosurgery and geriatric behavioral health, as part of its $250 million commitment to those facilities.
Sens. Duckworth and Durbin requested responses to several questions by June 10, including the considerations taken prior to eliminating pediatric services at St. Joseph, how the revocation of Aurora-based Mercy Medical Center’s level 2 trauma center designation will affect emergency readiness, the number of jobs affected by the closures, and the anticipated financial savings resulting from the changes.
“We share Senators Durbin and Duckworth’s commitment to ensuring access to quality care and welcome the opportunity to engage and respond to their questions in full alignment with the regulatory process and our shared commitment to ensuring sustainable, equitable, and high-quality healthcare for the people of Illinois,” the Prime spokesperson said.
