Administrators at Carle Health are preparing to see larger patient volumes in Champaign-Urbana as OSF HealthCare plans to shift some specialty services there to other cities.
OSF announced earlier this year the Heart of Mary Medical Center in Urbana will combine with Danville’s Sacred Heart Medical Center to become one hospital with two campuses.
The changes would result in several departments being reduced or relocated to Danville or Bloomington. The list includes open-heart surgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, comprehensive physical rehabilitation, and pediatric beds.
According to a state filing, Heart of Mary would go from 110 medical and surgical beds down to 25. The hospital’s surgery department would also be eliminated.
Just a mile east of the hospital, Carle Foundation Hospital officials say they are prepared to serve any new patients looking for immediate services close to home.
“As some of OSF’s services have closed over the past few weeks, we’re already starting to see just some confusion among community members about where they can receive specialty care and where those resources are available,” Angelo said. “If you are having an emergent medical need, please come to our emergency department so we can care for you here, close to home, and you don’t have to leave the community to receive that higher level of car.”
OSF will still have an emergency department in Urbana along with diagnostic imaging and other inpatient and outpatient services.
Angelo said the hospital was already planning to expand its emergency department prior to OSF’s announcement, but the health system is now working to expedite that project.
She said Carle Foundation Hospital’s emergency room is one of the busiest in the state, seeing 94,000 patients a year.
OSF cites multiple reasons for the restructuring — including a decline patient volumes in Urbana, growing operating losses and a desire to eliminate services being duplicated by other providers.
The health system reported $361 million in losses since purchasing the facility in 2018.
During a public hearing in Urbana last week, JT Barnhart, president of OSF’s Urbana and Danville hospitals, said the changes would also address regional healthcare needs.
“Sacred Heart Medical Center in Danville … has seen over the last 10 years a significant decline in specialty providers,” Barnhart said. “It’s very underserved from a healthcare perspective … and so from a standpoint of the system’s perspective is, how can we best utilize the resources that we have in the right locations to better serve both communities?”
OSF also plans to expand behavioral health services in Urbana, calling it “a growing need in the community” in a state filing.
Angelo expressed support for the initiative, though she wanted to see more information about those plans.
“I think we’re all eager to see more behavioral health resources in our community. I think what that looks like when it’s fully in place, and who that serves are our big outstanding questions. So I think we’ll all feel better once we actually see that solution in action.”
In the meantime, she said Carle has options for those who may be confused with the transition.
“We have a lot of same day access for primary care providers if there’s a patient in our community who may need to establish with a new physician as a result of these changes,” she said.
Carle said it is expanding provider staff for same-day and virtual care options.
Angelo said she does not know how many patients transition from OSF to Carle.
In a statement, Tim Ditman, a spokesperson for OSF, said the hospital has been in contact patients.
“We have been reaching out to patients about their options and to ensure continuity of care. That could be via letter or a message on their patient portal. We hope to keep as many patients as possible,” he wrote.
A final decision on OSF’s restructuring proposal is expected from the Illinois State Health Facilities and Services Review Board in September.