CLEVELAND — On Wednesday, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center and the Sisters of Charity Health System announced they will no longer be providing inpatient care, meaning no more overnight hospital beds or emergency care.
"This is a sad day for us without a doubt," said Sister Judith Ann Karam, congregational leader of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine.
News 5 will have team coverage of this developing story later this evening on News 5 at 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The health care system announced that they plan on transforming its East 22nd Street campus to focus on holistic health and to become a wellness hub.
"There's more to being well than what does happen inside the hospital," said Susanna Krey, new St. Vincent Charity Health Campus President and CEO.
“The vision for the St. Vincent Charity Health Campus advances our mission to provide a holistic and integrated model of high-quality care,” Karam added.
The system announced that it will be downsizing from 600 employees to 100.
"There's so much need in the community," current president & CEO of the Sisters of Charity Health System Janice Murphy said.
Murphy added that University Hospitals will host a job fair on Sept. 19 as it looks to fill positions in what's become an extremely in-demand healthcare industry.
The system said they are making the change due to a shift in care after the COVID-19 pandemic, due to rise in demand for outpatient care, declining inpatient volume and the growth of telehealth, which have "placed additional financial pressure on the hospital."
For example, officials told News 5 they would average anywhere from 100-120 inpatients. On Tuesday, they only had 39.
In March 2020, when many surgeries were put on hold, Janice G. Murphy, president & CEO of the Sisters of Charity Health System, told News 5 that the hospital lost $3 million that month.
"If you would extrapolate that going forward, that's not sustainable," she added. “This transition puts the hospital on a financially sustainable path forward despite the rapid, significant and ongoing changes in health care today.”
St. Vincent Charity Medical Center will provide ambulatory care as follows:
· Outpatient behavioral health services.
· High-quality provision of addiction medicine services through Rosary Hall.
· Primary care, internal medicine and specialty clinics.
· Urgent care.
“The story of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is one of transformation, led by the Sisters of Charity, whose passion for serving the Central neighborhood and all of Cleveland, is unmatched. Their history of evolving to meet the needs of the time is extraordinary and continues today,” said Adnan Tahir M.D., president & CEO of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. “This transformation is possible because of the dedication of our caregivers, who have stayed with us through challenging times. I have tremendous gratitude for each and every member of our staff.”
The medical center has been around since 1865 and was Cleveland's first permanent general hospital.
The hospital plans on completing the transition by Nov. 15.
