PRINCETON, W.Va. — Bluefield Regional Medical Center will be reduced to an emergency room with lab services following a vote by the Princeton Community Hospital Board of Directors to permanently close inpatient and ancillary services at BRMC impacting 340 jobs.
The Princeton hospital purchased the Bluefield facility last June. It said Friday the unstable health care environment forced the move which will happen by the end of July.
“I am deeply saddened by this announcement and I regret that this is the outcome of the acquisition,” Princeton Community Hospital Board of Directors President Rusty Sarver said in a statement.
He said Bluefield Regional has served the community well and has dedicated workers.
“Regrettably, with the volatility of today’s health care environment, our decreasing population, and reductions in federal funding and reimbursements from government and commercial insurers, there are no other viable options,” Sarver said.
The Princeton hospital board, which purchased BRMC last year, said it hopes to gain approval to convert Bluefield Regional to an emergency services facility with lab services including x-rays.
The board is encouraging Bluefield Regional workers to apply for open jobs at the Princeton hospital.
Rural hospitals in West Virginia have taken a hit in recent months, most citing the reimbursement issue as one of the reasons for closure. Both Fairmont Regional Hospital and Williamson Memorial Hospital have closed this year.
WVU Medicine and Mon Health have been approved for separate new facilities in Fairmont. WVU Medicine plans to provide limited services out of the Fairmont Regional building until its facility is constructed. Williamson Health & Wellness purchased Williamson Memorial out of bankruptcy.