UPMC McKeesport (Pa.) Hospital has ended emergency care for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), which are generally the most severe and dangerous types of heart attacks, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported July 10.
STEMIs are a type of heart attack that primarily affects the heart's lower chambers, according to Cleveland Clinic. They are named for how they change the appearance of the heart's electrical activity on a certain type of diagnostic test.
Pittsburgh-based UPMC, a 40-hospital system, acquired McKeesport Hospital in 1998 and ended maternity care shortly afterwards, according to the report. However, the health system said it has added several other services at the hospital over the years.
McKeesport residents have voiced concerns about the heart service cut at the hospital — which saw a 10 percent operating loss in fiscal year 2022 — and are worried that the facility could close like many other rural hospitals in recent years, according to the Gazette.
A spokesperson for UPMC told the publication that there are no plans to close the hospital, which is hiring for 150 open positions, even as its bed count shrinks.