Louisville, Ky.-based UofL Health closed the ICU at its Shelbyville (Ky.) Hospital Nov. 10, according to a statement shared with Becker’s.
“The six-bed ICU opened about four years ago, in the midst of the ongoing COVID surge,” the statement said. “Now, with the pandemic behind us, usage has decreased. The low occupancy rate of the unit does not justify the ongoing expense to equip and maintain when that same intensive level of care is available at nearby hospitals.”
Affected employees will be offered similar roles at other UofL facilities. Other services at the hospital will not be affected by the ICU closure, with a 24/7 emergency room also available.
The news comes after UofL Health shared plans in mid-November to lay off 1% of its workforce, or around 150 employees, to help “modernize” care delivery and streamline operations. The health system comprises nine hospitals, four medical centers, the Brown Cancer Center and the Eye Institute in Louisville, 250 locations across Kentucky and southern Indiana and more than 1,200 providers.
