Heritage Valley Kennedy Hospital, which traces its roots back into the 1890s, will terminate a half-dozen key services, including its emergency department and outpatient surgery area, at the end of June.
Heritage Valley Health System officials said Wednesday that declining patient activity and a reduction in provider reimbursements are prompting the system to “temporarily” close a number of key services currently provided at the Kennedy hospital.
In addition to its emergency department and outpatient surgery area closing, the Kennedy facility – technically a campus of Heritage Valley Sewickley – will see its inpatient geriatric behavioral health and adult behavioral health units “temporarily closed” along with its specialty diagnostic services – CT scans and ultrasound – and pulmonary rehabilitation services.
The use of the word “temporarily” leaves the door open to some of those services possibly being restored. Norm Mitry, the health system president and CEO, noted that the system is actively exploring partnerships with the intent of ensuring the continued delivery of behavioral health services in the region.
As for the restoration of other services that no longer will be offered at the Kennedy facility after June 30, Mitry said “it depends on what a potential partner might want to do.”
According to a news release issued Wednesday, a decline in patient activity and reduction in provider reimbursement have resulted in “adverse financial performance” at the Kennedy facility, located at 25 Heckel Road. As a result, patient care services will be consolidated into other Heritage Valley system facilities, effective June 30.
The services that no longer will be available at the Kennedy hospital will remain available at Heritage Valley Sewickley and Heritage Valley Beaver.
All current Heritage Valley employees at the Kennedy hospital in good standing will be offered positions at other Heritage Valley facilities or provided with a severance package in accordance with company policy.
Mitry would not disclose the number of people currently employed at the Kennedy hospital. But Mitry said there are numerous vacant positions at other system facilities, including Sewickley, Robinson, Beaver and Aliquippa.
“We have plenty of jobs for people who have an interest in staying,” Mitry said.
The system employs about 3,400 people in all.
According to the release, the health system saw a “positive trend in patient migration” to the Sewickley campus – located eight miles from the Kennedy hospital – after previous operational changes, and officials are encouraging patients to use the Sewickley campus.
The news release said that to support the community, the health system will offer the following services within the Medical Office Building (MOB), located adjacent to the Heritage Valley Kennedy Hospital:
- Convenient Care Walk-in Clinic
- X-ray services
- Lab draw services
- Outpatient physical rehabilitation
- Physician offices
Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation will be relocated to the Robinson Township Medical Neighborhood Building.
The Heritage Valley Senior Living Community, Wound Care, The Pain Center, Northwest Ambulance, and the Schools of Nursing and Radiography will not be impacted by these changes and will continue to operate at their current locations.
According to the news release, the health system is currently in discussions with Encompass Rehabilitation regarding its leased 12-bed unit at Kennedy. A decision on the Heritage Valley Kennedy beds is still pending and will not affect the Sewickley Encompass main hospital facility on Camp Meeting Road.
The facility formerly known as Ohio Valley Hospital officially was renamed Heritage Valley Kennedy in October 2019, about 10 months after it became a subsidiary of Heritage Valley Health System. At the time, it became the third hospital under the Heritage Valley umbrella.
In a statement posted on the health system website in October 2019, Mitry said the name change “was the natural next step in combining services and locations under the Heritage Valley Health System.”
“Our goal is to provide a seamless array of health care services across our new expanded community,” Mitry added.
According to a paid advertisement that appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in November 2017, Ohio Valley Hospital was known as McKees Rocks Hospital when it was established in the 1890s to treat railroad workers. Later the name was changed to Ohio Valley General Hospital and then in 2014 to Ohio Valley Hospital.
Been attending pulmonary rehab at heritage valley kennedy for 8 years . Being thrown to the side with nowhere else to go will effect my health and feel that after my loyalty toward hvhs i do deserve better. Shame on you for making us suffer.