The hospital plans to close the unit at the end of March. It will transfer children in need of hospitalization to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Mass., the report states.
Harrington officials attributed the closure to low patient volume. They told the Worcester Business Journal that only 1.5 patients a day had passed through the pediatric unit in the last year.
To improve efficiency, they said part of the pediatric unit has been used for post-surgical patient recovery three days a week.
Nine full-time-equivalent workers staffed the pediatric unit.
Harrington officials said children will still receive care at the hospital as outpatients and at its emergency departments in Southbridge and Webster, Mass.
More articles on patient flow:
Ohio hospital closes behavioral health unit
Michigan hospital reverses course, will keep cancer treatment services
Hazmat scare disrupts ER operations at Washington hospital
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