As hospitals continue to cut service lines amid thinning margins and high inflation, ASCs could have an opportunity to pick up patient volume.
"Surgical patient volume in many specialties continues to migrate safely and appropriately to an ambulatory approach in both ASCs and hospitals," Jennifer Misajet, RN, interim chief nursing officer at Fresno, Calif.-based Saint Agnes Medical Center, told Becker's in October. "While service expansion may require ASCs to purchase specialty equipment and train staff, selectively focusing on growing volumes in specialties moving out of acute care can make sense for the revenue, productivity and utilization of the ASC."
Here are six hospitals that announced they were shuttering services in June:
1. Tacoma, Wash.-based Virginia Mason Franciscan Health will close its outpatient rehabilitation and physical therapy clinic in Port Orchard, Wash., July 12.
2. Robbinsdale, Minn.-based North Memorial Health closed the specialty nursery unit at its hospital in the city.
3. St. Vincent Charity Community Health Center in Cleveland has closed its psychiatric emergency services unit and transitioned care to Cleveland-based MetroHealth's new psychiatric emergency department
4. Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital in Palos Heights, Ill., will discontinue pediatric services.
5. Alameda (Calif.) Hospital is ending elective surgeries and relocating them to the Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus in Oakland, Calif., and San Leandro (Calif.) Hospital.
6. University of Missouri Health Care Women's Hospital in Columbia, Mo., will permanently close its emergency room.