The hospital will instead transform into an outpatient and long-term care center, providing round-the-clock emergency care, rehab programs and diagnostic services, among others. Virtua will submit a certificate of need to the New Jersey Department of Health for approval of the plan.
Richard Miller, president and CEO of Virtua, said in a news release the health system decided to end inpatient care at the Berlin site due to the trends surrounding healthcare reform. “Regionally and nationally, healthcare providers are focusing more on keeping people healthy,” he said. “As a result, fewer people are requiring acute-care hospitalization, and more healthcare services are being provided in nonhospital settings.”
Virtua’s acute-care hospital count will be reduced to three.
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