Heywood Hospital To Shed 2 Services
Heywood Hospital in Gardner will shut down its inpatient pediatrics and transitional care services units by the end of September, citing federal budget cuts, low patient volume and high-quality alternatives at nearby health care facilities.
The hospital's decision will result in the loss of jobs, although it said in a statement that it will try to minimize that by finding other roles for laid-off staff within the hospital, and by helping to place them in jobs outside the organization.
"This decision was very difficult to make," Kenneth Pierce, chairman of the hospital's board of trustees, said in the statement. "After careful consideration, we concluded that this was the best choice for the future financial stability of the hospital, and one that will ensure our ability to continue to deliver the very highest quality of care to our patients and our community."
Heywood said it was treating less than one pediatrics patient a day, on average.
"With so few patients, you simply can't make the new investments in pediatric facilities and technology needed to meet patient expectations and our high standards of quality patient care," added hospital President and CEO Winfield Brown.
Brown said the Transitional Care Center, which helps patients regain their strength after a hospital stay before they return home, was not able to support itself financially.
"We are finally coming to terms with a choice that has faced dozens of hospitals because we simply cannot support poorly reimbursed, post-acute care within a much more expensive acute-care setting," Brown said.
The statement said Heywood will work with other area providers who can treat the pediatric and transitional care patients.
Brown said Heywood will continue to invest in new services such as its new MRI, emergency intensive care and diabetes center operations. He said the hospital is also committed to providing "high-level mental health care and suicide prevention – one of the most important health challenges facing the residents of North Central Massachusetts today."
Heywood, which has 153 beds, and Athol Hospital, with 25 beds, merged last year in an effort to streamline administrative functions and costs.
(Image credit: Freedigitialphotos.net)
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