St. Joseph's Mercy Health System, based in Hot Springs, Ark., has announced it is applying to the Arkansas Department of Health to change the licensure for St. Joseph's Mercy Health Center at HealthPark from an acute-care hospital to an ASC.
The decision to apply for the licensure change is a result of a merger earlier this year between St. Joseph's Mercy and HealthFirst Physicians Group. In the merger, Mercy acquired HealthPark Hospital, which had an average daily census of only five patients. St. Joseph's Mercy can absorb these patients, making it unnecessary to keep the HealthPark facility as an acute-care hospital.
"HealthPark is licensed as an acute-care facility and is open 24/7," said St. Joseph's Mercy President Tim Johnsen, according to a news release from the system. "Based on those requirements, we have to have staff in the emergency department the entire time. As we've studied it and operated it for the past four months, it's obvious that we can provide a much better patient experience by moving HealthPark to an outpatient surgery center."
The licensure change will take effect after Department of Health approval, which is expected to take 60 days.
Learn more about St. Joseph's Mercy Health System.
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