LOCKPORT, N.Y. — Eastern Niagara Hospital (ENH) announced Thursday it hopes to move forward after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization earlier this year.
The plans, including the loss of 80 full-time positions, come as the hospital continues to deal with the health and economic challenges brought on by the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Hospital has met many challenges this past year, including its Chapter 11 reorganization during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Anne McCaffrey, ENH President and CEO. " We were fortunate to receive PPP funding earlier this year, but those funds have been depleted. As we prepare to move forward with our future plans for health care across the region, it’s important that we make these last changes and be cost effective for the next two years and beyond. Our new partnership with Catholic Health presents us with many innovative opportunities to create service integrations. We are proactively designing our health care services today to match the future hospital to be constructed. Our ability to now consolidate services with a larger system, will enable us to continue to meet patient needs across Niagara County – with a heightened focus on quality care and increased access to specialty services and providers.”
The following steps must still be approved by the New York State Health Department:
- Surgical services will be consolidated at the Niagara Regional Surgery Center at 5875 S. Transit Road in Lockport. Currently, 75-80% of all surgical cases are already being performed at this site. Surgery volume at the Hospital’s main campus has declined over the years and has not returned to pre-COVID levels, while volume at the Transit Rd. surgery center has steadily increased.
- Intensive care services will be consolidated with Catholic Health. ENH patients requiring critical care will be transferred to the nearest Catholic Health hospital. The current census in ENH’s Intensive Care Unit has been averaging between 1-3 patients.
- A decrease in both clinical and support service positions that align with these changes, resulting in a reduction of approximately 80 FTEs.
Services at the Hospital’s Urgent Care, Ambulatory Surgery, and Imaging Center on Transit Road will not be affected.
Last month ENH entered into an agreement with Catholic Health to build a new hospital in Lockport.
McCaffrey added, “We will be working with Catholic Health to identify employment opportunities for any of our displaced workers. Recruitment representatives from Catholic Health will be at Eastern Niagara Hospital to meet with our employees and provide information on job openings within its system. There are currently over 200 openings in Catholic Health and I am confident many of our affected employees will find opportunities to consider.”
