Saint Luke’s is closing its Leavenworth hospital, cites financial impact of COVID-19
A hospital in Leavenworth announced it is closing its doors, citing financial difficulties in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Saint Luke’s Cushing Hospital’s inpatient medical unit will close July 17 and the rest of the hospital will close on Oct. 1, according to its website.
About 70 employees will be impacted by the closure.
Over the past five years, Saint Luke’s invested more than $20 million to enhance services at the hospital.
Last year, the hospital launched a new model focusing on emergency services.
“We were only a few months into this new model when the COVID-19 pandemic hit,” Saint Luke’s said on its website. “Like health care organizations everywhere, we stocked up on resources and staffed up on people to prepare for a surge in cases. This increased expense came at the same time we had to defer elective procedures. These factors resulted in significant financial strain and ultimately led to the decision to close Saint Luke’s Cushing Hospital.”
Adele Ducharme, the hospital’s CEO, said it “was an extremely difficult decision and one we never wanted to make.”
Hospital officials said primary care and specialty physicians will remain in the Cushing Medical Plaza building at 1001 Sixth Avenue and continue to provide services after the hospital’s closure.
This story was originally published June 30, 2020 at 12:22 PM.
