214-bed Kentucky hospital closes

Becker's Hospital Review ^ | April 30, 2020 | Ayla Ellison

[buckalfa]

Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health has closed Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital in Ashland, Ky.

Bon Secours announced plans in January to close the 214-bed hospital. The hospital was originally scheduled to shut down in September, but the timeline was moved up to April after employees began accepting new jobs or tendering resignations.

"Many members of our team have already accepted new positions conditionally, meaning that start dates with their new employers can't begin until their employment at OLBH ends," Jason Asic, interim president of OLBH, said in February. "These employers have hired our staff in good faith, and we want to provide the time frame for when these transitions can take place."

Bon Secours began scaling back services at OLBH in February, and all patient care, including emergency services, ended by April 30. The health system said medical records will be available to patients after the closure date.

More than 1,200 employees were affected by the closure, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice filed with the state. Dozens of job fairs over the past four months have helped some hospital employees secure new jobs.

[buckalfa]

In fairness, the facility was facing financial difficulties prior to the pandemic,but it does make you wonder when our nation's healthcare system is on the verge of being overwhelmed by the Xi Ping contagion 🤔.

[PAR35]

No, the health care system is facing disaster because of overreaction to the Wuhan Flu.

[CarolinaPeach]

Sounds likely.

But hey, now that the hospital is going to close the facility would make a dandy place for the homeless and/or mentally ill. Oh wait...we’ve been told that’s wrong and that’s why those kinds of hospitals were closed anyway. Nevermind.

Sheesh.

Peach

[HangnJudge]

Multiple hospitals closed or moribund in E. Tenn, 3 within 70 mi of here

[HangnJudge]

Announced in January

https://www.wymt.com/content/news/Hospital-in-Ashland-to-shut-down-later-this-year-567169111.html

[DannyTN]

Hospitals have been closing down, especially smaller rural hospitals for a few years now.

Kung Flu is just providing a flying double kick to side of the head.

[dainbramaged]

I was at Harborview Medical Center in downtown Seattle this past Monday for a pre-op visit with the surgeon who will repair an aneurysm that has been monitored for years and is now big enough to repair.
Harborview is a huge facility usually bustling with activity, but most of the people we encountered were employees - only a handful of patients that we could see. The waiting room chairs were taped off for "distancing".
Parking was free for a change.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

[Republican Wildcat]

This one is more likely the latest Obamacare casualty.