Sturgis (Mich.) Hospital plans to close its Pain Management Center and Wound Clinic, and reduce staff by 13.9 full-time equivalent positions, according to a Sturgis Journal report.
The hospital attributed the moves to financial struggles. In a statement to the Sturgis Journal, hospital spokesperson Phyllis Youga said Sturgis saw deficits in fiscal year 2017 due to various factors, such as decreased inpatient and outpatient volume, a changing payer mix, and rising operational costs. Therefore, the decision was made to implement operational changes to improve the hospital's financial picture.
"Changes to insurances ... are having a dramatic impact on patient volume and reimbursements which ultimately affects operations," Rob LaBarge, hospital president and CEO, said, according to the report. "Though we cannot control these factors, we must still respond to them by reevaluating our budget expectations and making adjustments to costs in order to ensure the hospital can sustain its core services; namely, emergency services, medical/surgical care, OB services and diagnostic testing. In addition, we're doing all we can to strengthen our family practice clinics to ensure the community access to family healthcare providers."
Hospital officials plan to close the Pain Management Center Dec. 1 and the Wound Clinic Dec. 8. Patients at these clinics will receive care or a referral from their primary physician, the hospital said.
The affected 13.9 full-time equivalent positions are at the two closed clinics, as well as in the areas of dietary, urgent care centers, Sturgis Pediatrics, sleep center, emergency department, and diabetes education and laboratory, the report states. Affected staff may end up filling other vacant positions at Sturgis.
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