Tue Feb 09 2010
By DARLENE PRINCE
PAULDING -- A combination of low birth rates in Paulding County and high physician malpractice insurance premiums has forced the board of trustees into closing the birthing unit of the Paulding County Hospital.
The closure will be effective on Monday, Aug. 13.
Hospital CEO Gary Adkins said, "The board voted unanimously (at the Thursday night meeting) to close the OB department because of low birth rate and low volume. We are repositioning the hospital to better serve the community."
He said the closure of the unit will save the hospital more than $700,000 a year.
But Adkins balanced that news with the hospital's plan to spend about $300,000 on upgrading the medical/surgical floor to accommodate the increasing number of patients using that department in the hospital.
Adkins noted that, in the last several years, the population in the county has been declining and also growing older. He said households have become smaller with a larger percentage of mature adults.
The hospital board therefore saw the necessity of changing the hospital's services so that it could better treat patients who had the diseases and medical conditions that come with older age.
Adkins said one of the first steps in changing the focus of the hospital's service was its move to hire a full-time general surgeon. Patients at mid-life are often in need of diagnostic and surgical services.
The hospital has also promoted the use of the swing bed unit. These rehabilitation beds are used by older patients who may need a few days of rehabilitation before returning home after an acute-care hospital stay.
Also in line with treating more older patients was the purchase of new radiology equipment and including chemotherapy in the oncology/hematology services. He said the use of these services has grown dramatically since they were first offered.
In line with the focus on older patients, the hospital has taken bids on a $300,000 upgrade to the medical/surgical floor. This will include upgrading bathrooms, replacement windows and other projects.
Adkins went on to explain some of the details of the plan to close the birthing unit. He said, that, although the hospital had invested $500,000 and hired a full-time OB/GYN, the use of the unit has still declined. He attributed that to fewer younger families in the county.
He noted that the maternity unit is one of the most expensive to maintain requiring fees for obstetricians on call and specialized nursing. To make the unit cost effective, it would have to deliver 90 percent of all Paulding County births, or 175 babies a year.
The hospital is projected to deliver only 62 babies this year, thus leading to a loss of $700,000 a year, which is about four years of operational profits at the hospital. In 2006, the number of births was 74 and in 2005, it was 83.
He said that from 2000-2005, 59 rural hospitals the same size as PCH, have closed their OB departments nationwide.
Another factor in the cost of maintaining the birthing unit is the escalating cost of malpractice insurance premiums. Adkins said that about 10 years ago in Paulding County, there were at least five family practitioners who had OB privileges at the hospital. In 2005, there were none because of the cost and instability of the liability insurance market.
He said Ohio has been listed as a "Malpractice Insurance Crisis" state.
Adkins then described the hospital's plans in closing the birthing unit.
"We will be talking to the patients of our OB/GYN and offering them multiple options as to where they will go," he said. He said he will also be speaking to the OB/GYN about the hospital's plans.
As for jobs lost in the birthing unit, Adkins said, "It will be 2.2 full time equivalents. About one month ago, we froze hiring for nurses. Some employees have left and positions were unfilled. Other employees covered the extra shifts." Birthing unit employees will be offered these jobs at the hospital.
Adkins added that the hospital administration will provide a Master Facility Plan to the hospital trustees in 2008 that will address the best way for the hospital to meet the changing demographics of the county.
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