UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton (Mass.) Hospital said it agreed delay the pending closure of its gastrointestinal unit to allow time for a public hearing, according to a Telegram & Gazette report.
The hospital initially intended to close the unit Jan. 26. However, officials have now agreed to a 90-day delay.
The decision comes after the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents Clinton Hospital nurses, spoke out against the hospital's plans to close the GI unit, including its endoscopy service, with less than three weeks' notice.
"We believe this constitutes the closure of an essential service that under DPH regulations, requires notification by the hospital to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, with a subsequent 90-day notice of closure and a public hearing to determine whether this is an essential service; and if closed, the facility must provide a detailed plan for how the service will be delivered post closure," the union wrote in a letter to DPH.
Hospital spokesperson Kelli Rooney has contended the unit closure was necessary because of physician staffing changes, and that other services will still be provided in the space.
She also denied the assertion the hospital failed to comply with DPH requirements and other applicable laws and regulations.
"We strive to align our programs and resources carefully. Our No. 1 goal is meeting the health needs of our community in a sustainable manner now and into the future," she said in a statement to Becker's Hospital Review.
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