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Ozarks Community Hospital Says it’s Forced to Close Some Services, Lay Off 200

Ozarks Community Hospital
ochonline.com

200 employees at Ozarks Community Hospital will lose their jobs as the result of a federal agency’s decision to end its Medicare agreement with the health system.

In a memo to staff Monday morning, CEO Paul Taylor said OCH will immediately stop admitting to its inpatient unit and close its surgery and emergency departments by the end of the month. Clinics will continue to operate as usual.

Taylor says the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published that it will terminate its Medicare agreement with OCH because it no longer satisfies the definition of a hospital. He said an official notice from CMS is expected sometime this week. According to Taylor, at issue is the health system’s inpatient volume.  

“I am angry. What CMS has done is not right. It is not ethical. There has been no allegation that we are providing substandard care,” Taylor said in the memo.

Taylor added that admissions at its Springfield facility so far this year has exceeded that of at least 25 other Missouri hospitals.

“CMS is picking on us because we decided, as a small hospital, that we could provide primary care for at risk patients. Everyone in healthcare understands that primary care for at risk patients is the largest unmet need we have in this nation. We did the right thing and nothing CMS says is going to change that fact.”

Taylor adds that he’ll be appealing the decision and feels strongly the health system will win. However, he said, “That will provide little solace to the 200 people who will be losing their jobs and it is doubtful that we will be able to reopen the hospital after prevailing on appeal.”

In an email to KSMU, Senior Communications Manager Andrea Harp confirmed that its Springfield clinics at 2828 N. National, including the OCH Medical Offices Clinic, OCH Primary Care Clinic and OCH Northside Behavioral Medicine Clinic will continue to operate as usual. The OCH Evergreen Clinic will also continue business as usual.

“The Springfield hospital makes up a big part of our healthcare system, and we are deeply grieving this unexpected change,” said Harp.

According to the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Ozarks Community Hospital employs 476 people in the metro area and 754 company-wide.