Kentucky hospital to close; an estimated 1,000 people to lose jobs
Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital, a 214-bed hospital in Ashland, will close by the end of September.
Bon Secours Health System, which owns the hospital, announced Tuesday that “it will be exiting acute and outpatient care in the Ashland and Tri-state communities,” resulting in the closing of the hospital, its physician network and other related facilities.
About 1,000 employees will be affected, The Daily Independent reported. The newspaper said the hospital has been in operation since 1953.
Bon Secours indicated in a news release that competition from other acute care facilities made the decision to close necessary.
“For more than a year, the ministry has been talking with hospitals and health systems to address the health care needs of the community, with the ultimate goal of improved outcomes and cost-effective care. In addition, robust efforts have been taken to help sustain hospital operations,” the release stated. “While these efforts offered temporary benefit, they are not enough to effectively operate in an environment that has multiple acute care facilities competing for the same patients, providers and services.”
The organization said the choice to close the non-profit hospital was made after “a very deliberate and thorough discernment process.”
“We take the responsibility that comes with this decision very seriously, and we do not go into it lightly,” the hospital’s interim president, Jason Asic, said in the release. “We commit to working closely with our associates to share timely and transparent information, especially as it relates to the transition of services, employment opportunities and career fairs.”
During the transition, Asic said the Catholic hospital “will continue to serve our patients with compassion and dignity.”
Our Lady of Bellefonte is the smaller of two hospitals in Ashland. The other is Kings Daughters Medical Center.
Rep. Danny Bentley, R-Russell, issued a statement calling the announcement “devastating news for our community.”
Bentley said he volunteered on the hospital board for nine years before Bon Secours took ownership.
“I have seen firsthand the impact this facility makes on Greenup County,” he said.
Bentley said he has asked the governor’s office ”to work with me and our local officials to do all we can to keep the doors open and the people of this community served.”
“While today is devastating for so many families in the Ashland area, I am committed to working with regional leaders to ensure access to affordable health care and to replace the jobs being lost,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement. “My administration will do everything we can to help those directly impacted by the sudden closure.”
This story was originally published January 21, 2020 at 4:18 PM.
