St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin to cut obstetrics unit
Citing a nearly one-third drop in obstetric patients, officials at Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin plan to cease its program there by the end of 2009.
Bill Brown, Provena president and CEO, could not be reached for comment, but the hospital did issue a statement indicating it is shifting its priorities to best serve the community as more patients use specialized services for cardiovascular health and rehabilitation.
"Meanwhile, we have experienced a progressive decline in the utilization of our OB services. This has compelled us to consider whether our mission of responding to community need is better served by focusing more resources in those areas of highest demand," the statement read.
The hospital is filing an application with the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board for permission to cease offering obstetric services.
A hearing is planned for Oct. 13.
The statement did not address what would happen to the hospital's maternity wing and when the program would stop completely.
St. Joseph would still deliver babies on an emergency basis.
In the statement, Brown said St. Joseph would still offer gynecological services and planned a "Women's Heart Center" for this fall.
In a letter to Sherman Hospital, a required step under state health law, Brown said the number of obstetric patients declined from 452 in the one-year period ending April 30, 2008, to 310 in the one-year period ending April 30, 2009.
Doctors at Sherman Hospital, which has a new, larger facility that will open in December on Elgin's west side, will absorb some of St. Joseph's patients, but might have to expand later.
"The determination to open 28 obstetrics beds at the new hospital location in Elgin was not based on serving this additional volume. Thus, we expect that Sherman Hospital may be required to expand its obstetrics program in the future in order to accommodate this additional capacity," Linda Deering, Sherman's chief operating officer, wrote in a letter to state officials last week.