St. Luke’s Des Peres Hospital in St. Louis officially closed Aug. 1, a spokesperson for the Chesterfield, Mo.-based health system told Becker’s.
The decision follows years of declining patient volumes and mounting financial challenges that made continued operation of the 143-bed hospital as an acute care facility unsustainable.
“This difficult but necessary decision follows a comprehensive evaluation of long-term occupancy trends, the evolving healthcare landscape, and St. Luke’s strategic priorities for the future,” the health system said in a statement. “Despite the dedication and hard work of the Des Peres team, the hospital has faced persistently low utilization and increasing financial pressures, making continued operation as an acute care facility no longer sustainable.”
Although final figures are still being confirmed, St. Luke’s said nearly half of the Des Peres team members have transitioned to roles at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield or other system facilities in the region.
All remaining impacted employees were offered severance packages, access to a dedicated job fair and job placement support.