Five hospitals that have announced service reductions since April 20.
1. Madelia (Minn.) Health will close its only pharmacy on May 28 due to rising operational costs. The pharmacy is the sole location serving Lake Crystal, Minn.
2. Renton, Wash.-based Valley Medical Center will consolidate services and implement changes affecting 50% of its workforce over the next two months, citing financial challenges, government policy uncertainties and issues with private-sector reimbursement. As part of the restructuring:
- The Northwest Pavilion inpatient adult and pediatric units will close on June 27.
- Several outpatient facilities, including the Kent primary care office, maternal fetal medicine clinic, occupational health services and pediatric neurology and sleep medicine clinics, will also shut down on the same date.
3. Boise, Idaho-based St. Luke’s Health System will temporarily close its urologic oncology clinic at the St. Luke’s Cancer Institute on May 30, following the departure of a key physician.
4. Lawrence Medical Center in Moulton, Ala., will permanently close its emergency department on May 23. This is part of a long-term plan to convert the hospital into an outpatient facility under a 40-year lease with Huntsville Hospital Health System. All inpatient and emergency services are expected to phase out by mid-2025.
5. Prime Healthcare temporarily suspending pediatric inpatient services at St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Ill. The decision follows consistently low utilization, with the unit averaging fewer than one patient per day.
