Here are five hospitals closing or ending services since Aug. 15:
1. Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth is closing locations, causing frustration amongst displaced workers. Memorial Health Center, an urgent care clinic in Vancouver, is one of five clinics and services set to shutter this year.
Sixty-nine total jobs will be lost as a result of PeaceHealth's clinic closures. The health system, plagued by unsustainable negative operating margins, also took steps to shutter its underutilized Eugene (Ore.) University District hospital.
2. The UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital Leominster (Mass.) Campus is following through with its plan to close its maternity ward by working with transit officials to redirect patients to other hospitals, despite objections from the state.
The hospital was forced to submit a plan for maintaining maternity care in the area after the state determined that it was an essential service. Hospital officials said that financial assistance would not be enough to keep the maternity ward open, as the ward was struggling with financial issues.
3. UChicago Medicine AdventHealth GlenOaks hospital in Glendale Heights, Ill., plans to discontinue its obstetrics services because of low demand and community factors including the higher median age in Glendale Heights.
Hospital leaders outlined plans to discontinue its 15-bed obstetric facility and remove a Level 1 nursery from the hospital, pending approval from the Illinois Health Facilities & Services Review Board.
4. Williamston, N.C.-based Martin General Hospital, which closed and filed for bankruptcy on Aug. 3, could also close its six clinics if a buyer isn't found. When the hospital shut down, it said that its clinic would remain open. Martin General is looking to identify a buyer for the clinics before Oct. 5.
5. Peru, Ill.-based St. Margaret's Health, which closed in January 2023, might not reopen this year as planned as bankruptcy proceedings drag on. In July, Peoria-based OSF HealthCare received approval from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board to take over and reopen the hospital. So far, OSF has rehired about 400 former St. Margaret's employees. OSF has reopened some of St. Margaret’s clinics.