Brewer, Maine-based Northern Light Health plans to close Northern Light Inland Hospital in Waterville and its associated services and clinics in May.
The 48-bed community hospital includes primary and specialty care physician offices in Waterville, Oakland, Unity and Madison, Maine, as well as a 105-bed continuing care center on the Inland campus, according to its website. The closure will not affect the continuing care center.
The decision to close the hospital was made due to "immense pressure of higher operational costs, unsustainably low reimbursement rates and a tight labor market," the health system said in a news release shared with Becker's.
"While many of the challenges facing Inland are similar to those at hospitals throughout Maine and the rest of the country, solutions working well in other facilities and the communities we serve have not proven successful in Waterville," Northern Light Health President and CEO Tim Dentry said.
With many other healthcare options nearby, Northern Light Health said this decision allows it to redirect resources to areas with more limited access to care.
"Every community is different, with different needs and varying resources available to them," Mr. Dentry said. "For Northern Light Inland Hospital, the number of service providers in the Waterville service area outweigh the operation's critical resources available and patient volumes are not adequate to balance the costs of maintaining operations."
The hospital and clinics will continue providing clinical services through May 27 and help patients transition their care to other facilities in the Waterville area. Northern Light Health said it will work to place affected employees in roles at other facilities within the health system.
The facilities will formally close on June 11. Northern Light Health plans to maintain the facility and grounds while seeking a buyer for the property.
The health system said it has no plans to close any other hospitals.