Franklin County's medical center to close
FRANKLIN COUNTY (WTVD) -- Novant Health Franklin Medical Center announced Wednesday that it will cease operations next Friday, after years of declining utilization. The closure will affect 113 full-time employees and 16 part-time employees.
Effective at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Franklin Medical Center will no longer accept new inpatient admissions.
Leaders at the Louisburg hospital said staff members are working to safely discharge existing patients by Oct. 16 or transfer care to another hospital at that time.
The emergency room will remain open to new patients until the hospital officially closes at 7 a.m. on Oct. 16. If patients are registered in the ER at that time, they will be treated and released or transferred to another facility as necessary and appropriate.
Leaders said they have notified the state about the closure and are working closely with patients on an individual basis to coordinate ongoing care.
Hospital employees will have access to outplacement assistance from the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
Novant Health Perry Medders Medical Group and Novant Health Franklin General & Vascular Surgery will also transition from Novant Health medical group. The medical group will no longer employ the teams at these two offices. However, both clinics will remain open until Dec. 7 to provide patients time to find new health care providers. The medical offices may choose to convert to private practices, according to officials with Novant Health.
"The decision to close a hospital may be the most difficult one a health system ever faces," said Patrick Easterling, senior vice president at Novant Health in a statement. "We care deeply about our patients and the communities we serve, and this is something we take very seriously. Unfortunately, utilization of Franklin Medical Center has declined significantly over several years. Despite an outstanding staff, investments in the facility, and a reconfiguration of hospital services last fall, we were unable to create a sustainable model. As we prepare to close our doors, we are committed to doing whatever we can to help our patients and our employees during this time of transition."
