Commonwealth Health Investing $2 Million to Create Urgent Care and Outpatient Services Center
4/28/2014
PECKVILLE, PA (April 29, 2014) – Recent years have seen many changes and challenges for hospitals across the U.S., as fewer patients require inpatient acute care and reimbursement is less for the care provided. When Mid Valley Hospital surveyed the operating environment and how the community was using the hospital, the decision was made to end inpatient and emergency department services and investmore than $2 million to redevelop the campus to support the delivery of outpatient services.
The facility will begin operating as a walk-in clinic – Commonwealth HealthMid Valley Outpatient Center – at 9 a.m. on July 1, 2014. The walk-in center will include an urgent care that offers treatment for minor illnesses and non-life-threatening injuries. It will also offer physicals, immunizations and outpatient services such as radiology and lab services. Lackawanna Ambulance will continue stationing an ambulance on campus to facilitate timely emergency response and any needed transfers.
Mid-Valley will stop operating acute care and emergency room services as of 12:01 a.m. July 1, 2014. Hospital leadership will work with members of the medical staff, patients, and local first responders to ensure a smooth transition of care to other providers.
“For more than 100 years, our hospital has had proud tradition of providing quality, personalized care and we have tremendous patient satisfaction,” said Ann Marie Stevens, Chief Executive Officer of Mid Valley Hospital. “These are challenging times for all hospitals and we must evolve and adjust to new realities. Urgent care and outpatient services are the most used at our facility and our investment will support this community need.”
Changes in inpatient admission guidelines have caused a steady decline in the number of patients admitted to Mid Valley, from 900 in 2009 to fewer than 500 in 2013. Emergency Room visits have declined as well, averaging 25 or fewer patients a day; many of these patients require specialized treatment not available at Mid Valley so they are stabilized then transferred to a larger acute care hospital in Scranton.
Critical Access Hospitals such as Mid Valley Hospital are particularly impacted by new cuts in federal program reimbursement as part of the Affordable Care Act. These cuts were based on more people having insurance, whether through Medicaid expansion or the insurance exchanges. To date, Pennsylvania has forgone the option to cover more individuals with Medicaid.
Stevens continued, “We have a compassionate, skilled team of physicians and employees who have served our patients and community well. Their professionalism is appreciated and we thank them for their years of service.”
Work will be done to retain as many employees as possible, either to staff the new clinic or to positions at other Commonwealth Health hospitals. Affected employees will be supported through outplacement services and job fairs, and severance will be provided to those who qualify.
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