AlexNazaruk / Depositphotos.com
With the future of West Monroe’s Glenwood Regional Hospital in jeopardy, after parent company Steward Health Care declared bankruptcy, Mayor Staci Mitchell said the potential closure would gravely impact the city and they are doing all they can to help the hospital get sold and remain open.
“Because there’s a tremendous impact, it is critical to the healthcare of our community, our parish, and our region, northeast Louisiana, because Glenwood serves 27 rural hospitals,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell said Glenwood Regional must remain open because the two hospitals across the river in Monroe can’t handle the number of patients that need care. She said Steward Health Care’s mismanagement is having dire consequences.
“From a healthcare standpoint as a priority of course it’s critical and it’s very sad that this has happened because Glenwood is a great hospital. The people of Glenwood are great people. It has been all Steward’s doing,” said Mitchell.
The patient census at Glenwood has decreased to 91, even though they have more beds. Mitchell is hopeful the hospital can be sold and there’s a smooth changeover.
“Obviously we’re working as hard as we can to have a transition, we do not want Glenwood to close, and lose our talent, lose our physicians, lose our nurses everyone in the healthcare provider system there,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell says complicating the possible sale of the hospital is that Medical Properties Trust owns the land and building.
Comments