PeaceHealth to shutter only hospital in Eugene, Oregon; nurse's union calls it 'disastrous'
PeaceHealth says it's closing the only hospital in Eugene, Oregon, and moving services 6 miles to its Springfield location
EUGENE, Ore. — PeaceHealth announced this week it is closing the only hospital in Eugene, Oregon, and moving services 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) to its Springfield location.
PeaceHealth said Tuesday the hospital serving the city of about 178,000 people is underutilized, the Register-Guard reported.
The PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center University District in Eugene, which first opened in 1936, employs hundreds of nurses, health care professionals and staff.
PeaceHealth officials said patient volume has been declining, causing the hospital to lose an average of $2 million per month. The facility has about 95 patient visits daily, with about 15.5 patients per month admitted as inpatients and 7.5 patients per month admitted for observation, according to hospital officials.
“As the needs of the Lane County community evolve, PeaceHealth services and sites of care also need to evolve to ensure compassionate, high-quality care now and in the future,” Alicia Beymer, chief administrative officer of the University District hospital, said. “We believe consolidating some services at RiverBend will provide an enhanced care experience.”
PeaceHealth plans to move inpatient rehabilitation, emergency department and related medical services to the PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield.
Emergency services will phase out of the Eugene hospital in November. Inpatient rehab will temporarily relocate in early 2024, with plans to open a larger rehab facility in 2026.
At the Eugene location, ambulatory services, including PeaceHealth Medical Group clinics and Home & Community services,
Read more on abcnews.go.com
