Hahnemann University Hospital Announces Shutdown Timeline, Final Closing Date
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Hahnemann University Hospital on Tuesday announced a timeline for its scheduled closure, including a final shut down date of Sept. 6. The plan is awaiting approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Philadelphia Health Commissioner's Office.
Here are the proposed closing dates for Hahnemann's facilities and departments:
• Admissions from the emergency department will end at 7 a.m. on July 17. Patients can receive treatment at the ER and then go home but patients will not be admitted to the hospital for inpatient care.
• Elective surgical cases requiring inpatient care will cease on July 17.
• The inpatient operating room will close for non-emergency cases on July 17.
• Direct inpatient admissions will cease on July 19.
• Endoscopy and colonoscopy services end on July 26.
• Same-day surgeries will end on July 26.
• Infusion center and aphaeresis services end on July 26.
• Sleep Lab will close on July 26.
• Emergency Department will close on Aug. 16.
• Hospital services such as lab, radiology, blood bank, and pharmacy will close on Aug. 23.
• The Drexel outpatient oncology suite located in Hahnemann will cease operations on or before Sept. 6.
• The hospital building is planned to close on or about Sept. 6.
"The decision to close Hahnemann was an extremely difficult, but necessary one, due to continuing, unsustainable financial losses. We have been working hand in hand with the Mayor's Office, Drexel University, and officials from the Philadelphia Health Commissioner's Office and the Pennsylvania Department of Health to ensure a smooth wind-down of operations," said Ron Dreskin, PAHS Interim System CEO. "We appreciate the hard work and diligence of our medical and clinical staff in crafting a comprehensive plan that adheres to state and city regulations."
Hahnemann University Hospital Nurses Hold 'Funeral March,' Carry Coffin To Protest Closure
The announcement comes after Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders joined a protest outside of the hospital on Monday to keep the facility open. On Tuesday, Hahnemann nurses and employees held a mock funeral and carried a coffin in protest.
In early July, the hospital's owners, Philadelphia Academic Health System, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy