With more than 75 percent of surgical procedures already being done at its outpatient surgery center in Lockport, N.Y., Eastern Niagara Hospital plans to discontinue surgery services at its main site, The Buffalo News reported Nov. 12.
The hospital itself hasn't returned to pre-pandemic volumes and expects to log 380 inpatient surgeries and 910 outpatient surgeries this year. Volume at the surgery center is three times higher and has been rising, a spokeswoman told The Buffalo News.
Once it gains approval from the state health department, Eastern Niagara Hospital will begin shedding surgical services at its main site and shutting down its severely under-utilized ICU. Patients needing intensive care will be transferred to the nearest Catholic Health ICU with available beds.
Due to the cutbacks, Eastern Niagara Hospital is eliminating 80 jobs. Many may be able to find work at Buffalo, N.Y.-based Catholic Health, which currently has 200 job openings, according to Eastern Niagara Hospital President and CEO Anne McCaffrey.
Eastern Niagara Hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019, saddled with more than $14 million in debt it couldn't pay. In October, the hospital announced a management agreement under which Catholic Health will build a new hospital in the Lockport area for $37 million. The hospital could open as soon as 2023, at which time Eastern Niagara will go out of business.