BY SCOTT LEFFLER
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com

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NEWFANE — Citing a declining need for in-patient care, Eastern Niagara Hospital announced that it would be shuttering its in-patient services at its Newfane facility and laying off about 60 employees over the course of the next 60 to 90 days.

The restructuring plan, agreed to by the hospital's board of directors, will consolidate in-patient services to the Lockport hospital, while maintaining the emergency room and out-patient services in Newfane, according to ENH spokesperson Carolyn Moore.

"The trend is that in-patient care has declined," Moore said via telephone this afternoon. "People no longer go to the hospital for days and weeks like they used to."

Hospital officials believe that ENH-Lockport has the capacity to handle all of the long-term patients that both facilities had been maintaining.

The hospital, which Moore described as "one hospital with two locations," has the equivalent of 560 full-time employees, including 123 at the Newfane site. About 60 of those Newfane employees will stay on with some working at the Newfane facility and others being transferred to Lockport. The other 60 will be laid off.

The hospital released a statement on the restructuring plan. It follows in its entirety:

EASTERN NIAGARA HOSPITAL ANNOUNCES RESTRUCTURING OF SERVICES AT NEWFANE SITE

LOCKPORT, NY – Eastern Niagara Hospital has announced a plan to restructure services at the Hospital’s Newfane site, located at 2600 William Street, Newfane. The plan will consolidate inpatient care and surgical services at the Hospital’s Lockport site, located at 521 East Avenue, Lockport. The Newfane site will maintain its 24-hour Emergency Department in addition to various outpatient services, including the continuation of: dialysis services, laboratory blood drawing, physical and occupational therapy and most radiology services.

ENH Board Chairman George V.C. Muscato stated, “The Hospital reached this decision due to the statewide trend of declining inpatient hospitalizations, declines in reimbursement, and most recently, the impacts of the Affordable Care Act. ENH has been privileged to maintain health care services at several sites across the region. Providing access to services throughout the community has always been a priority. However, Eastern Niagara Hospital will no longer be able to remain viable if it continues operating two separate acute care facilities with duplicative services. After extensive review and consideration of health care trends, ENH determined that an immediate restructuring of the array of services is necessary in order to preserve health care in the community for the long term. We have taken into consideration input from our local EMS providers, and elected officials in order to provide the community with the highest level of services possible.”

Clare A. Haar, Chief Executive Officer stated, “The focus of the Newfane site will shift to outpatient consistent with the trends of healthcare today. We understand the change will have an impact on employees at this facility. The Hospital will be making every effort to accommodate employees of the Newfane site who wish to apply for open positions at the Lockport site. There are approximately 560 FTEs at Eastern Niagara Hospital at which about 123 are associated with the Newfane site. Following the restructuring, approximately 60 FTEs will be retained either in positions at the Newfane site or relocated to the Lockport site and there will be about 60 FTEs laid off. For any workers who are displaced, the Hospital’s Human Resources Department will assist those individuals with resume preparation, job placement services and a variety of other resources for reemployment, including services by the NYS Rapid Response Services.”

The Hospital will be meeting with various groups in the days ahead to provide details of these changes. The public is advised to contact the Hospital’s Community Relations Department if they have questions about the restructuring of specific services.

In conclusion, Board Chairman George Muscato added, “On behalf of the Board of Directors and our entire management team, we greatly appreciate the patience and support of the community as we move forward with this plan. Please be assured that, while this change is difficult, the Hospital’s goal is to maintain a continuum of health care services in the eastern Niagara County region. Support from the community and utilization of ENH services is now more important than ever. Eastern Niagara Hospital is committed to serving the community now and well into the future.”

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