Mayo Clinic To Close Hospital, ER At Two Southern Minnesota Locations
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The Mayo Clinic Health System says it will soon close its hospital and emergency department at its Springfield and Lamberton clinics.
Hospital staff made the decision after considering their declining hospital admissions, as well as severe provider shortages caused by an inability to recruit and retain new physicians. They also are facing concerns about their future accreditation.
Sixty employees will lose their jobs as a result. Only nine inpatients and 28 overnight patients were admitted to the Springfield hospital in 2019.
The hospital struggled in part because there are several competing facilities in the area. In Springfield, there are eight hospitals in a 38-mile radius.
Mayo Clinic officials say another Minnesota health care organization has expressed interest in working with Springfield to establish outpatient clinic services. They also write that they're exploring new ways to bring care to patients through digital tools.
The closures will go into effect by March 1, 2020.