The long-struggling Quincy Medical Center will permanently close its doors tomorrow, leaving Quincy residents without an official health facility sooner than originally planned, which could spur legal action from the Attorney General's office.
"Because of significant declines in patient volume, the department has determined that this closure timeline is necessary and appropriate to protect the health and safety of patients served by QMC and the department waives the remainder of the 90-day closure notice period," Department of Public Health official Sherman Lohnes wrote Tuesday in a letter to QMC owner Steward Health Care System.
Hospitals are obligated to give 90 days' notice before closing, which would have required the medical center to stay open until February if DPH had not waived the requirement.
The for-profit company previously agreed in a contract with Attorney General Martha Coakley to keep the 196-bed center open until at least 2017, and Coakley's office has raised the possibility of taking legal action if the hospital's emergency services did not stay open past Dec. 31.
Although AG spokesmen declined to specifically comment on whether that still may be in the cards, talks with Steward were said to be ongoing.
"We have made clear that any efforts to close Quincy Medical Center must maintain emergency services beyond Dec. 31," said Brad Puffer, spokesman for Coakley. "This is an important step in that process and we are continuing our discussions with Steward."
According to a press release, Steward QMC will close at 11:59 p.m. tomorrow, and the Steward Satellite Emergency Facility will officially open at midnight.
Steward said it will keep the emergency facility open until Dec. 31, 2015, through Carney Hospital's license.
The center has been fraught with financial woes and a dwindling patient base for several years.
But the closing of the center leaves Quincy residents without a hospital and the center's health care workers in employment limbo.
Brooke Thurston, a spokeswoman for Steward, said many of the center's employees will be paid and receive benefits through Jan. 6, and that a majority will be transferred into new positions within the Steward network.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Quincy residents to be left with emergency facility only
Dengan url
http://sedangapasaja.blogspot.com/2014/12/quincy-residents-to-be-left-with.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Quincy residents to be left with emergency facility only
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Quincy residents to be left with emergency facility only
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar