KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Cushing Hospital in Leavenworth will close Oct. 1, the Saint Luke's Health System announced Tuesday.
Hospital officials cited financial distress caused by the coronavirus pandemic for the closure.
“This was an extremely difficult decision and one we never wanted to make,” Adele Ducharme, CEO, Saint Luke’s Cushing Hospital & SLHS North Region, said Tuesday in a release.
Hospital officials say increased costs of supplies to treat COVID-19 patients, combined with a loss of more traditional revenue sources combined to lead to the closure.
Leaders say they were hoping a new model put into place at the hospital last year would better balance the community's needs. Officials say they were never able to see if the model would work due to the pandemic.
“The financial impact of the unexpected global pandemic was unprecedented,” Ducharme said in the release. “As a result, we never had the opportunity to fully test this new care model for Cushing Hospital to see how successful it could be.”
The hospital estimates 70 people are affected, though they will be able to apply to other positions in the Saint Luke's Health System.
More information about the closing of the hospital is available on the Saint Luke’s website.
