Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital to shut down later this year.

[GOREDDEVILS]

Just announced today that Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital In Greenup County will close its doors by the end of September 2020. This is devastating news for the Greenup County/Ashland area. It is said that Bellefonte has 1,000 employees.

 

I hope they can somehow find a way to keep it open.

Edited January 21, 2020 by GOREDDEVILS

[GOREDDEVILS]

Bon Secours Health System Owns Bellefonte.

[The Double Deuce]

Bon Secours Health System Owns Bellefonte.

 

For the NKYians on the site, that is the same company that owns Mercy Hospital in Cincinnati. The ones with the seven-figure jersey sponsorship with FC Cincinnati.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

For the NKYians on the site, that is the same company that owns Mercy Hospital in Cincinnati. The ones with the seven-figure jersey sponsorship with FC Cincinnati.

 

$5 million dollars a year over 10 years to have the Mercy Health name on the unis and on the shiny new $35 million FC Cincinnati training facility.

 

Despicable.

[TheDeuce]

For the NKYians on the site, that is the same company that owns Mercy Hospital in Cincinnati. The ones with the seven-figure jersey sponsorship with FC Cincinnati.

 

That's probably not going to go over well.

[GOREDDEVILS]

The hospital had been open for 6 decades.

[JDEaston]

Bon Secours Health System Owns Bellefonte.

 

Did that deal actually go through? I was told that it did not due to Bon Secours realizing that OLBH had accumulated too much debt so they backed out of purchasing the hospital. Bon Secours also tried to buy KDMC but were turned down by KDMC.

 

This is certainly bad news but it may not be as bad as it seems, just yet at least. I'd give it a bit and see how it plays out. St. Mary's and Cabell Huntington are having job fairs tomorrow for OLBH employees, KDMC has said they will help as much as possible as well.

 

In other words the jobs may not be lost, but divided up among other hospitals in the local area. It would not surprise me if someone buys in and "reopens" the hospital. If by some chance none of that plays out how I believe it will, then let the panic set in because the job count would actually be much higher than 1000 jobs, closer to 2k would be my guess.

 

Edit: I suppose I have some names mixed up, my better half told me Bon Secours has owned OLBH for a while. So I'm not sure who was trying to buy OLBH and KDMC.

[GOREDDEVILS]

Did that deal actually go through? I was told that it did not due to Bon Secours realizing that OLBH had accumulated too much debt so they backed out of purchasing the hospital. Bon Secours also tried to buy KDMC but were turned down by KDMC.

 

This is certainly bad news but it may not be as bad as it seems, just yet at least. I'd give it a bit and see how it plays out. St. Mary's and Cabell Huntington are having job fairs tomorrow for OLBH employees, KDMC has said they will help as much as possible as well.

 

In other words the jobs may not be lost, but divided up among other hospitals in the local area. It would not surprise me if someone buys in and "reopens" the hospital. If by some chance none of that plays out how I believe it will, then let the panic set in because the job count would actually be much higher than 1000 jobs, closer to 2k would be my guess.

 

Edit: I suppose I have some names mixed up, my better half told me Bon Secours has owned OLBH for a while. So I'm not sure who was trying to buy OLBH and KDMC.

 

Rep. Danny Bentley of Russell issued the following statement upon hearing news that Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital will be closing in September of this year:

 

“The announcement that Bellefonte Hospital is closing is devastating news for our community. We have so many critical health care needs that are best met by a local facility,” Rep. Danny Bentley, a pharmacist and well respected advocate for access to quality health care said. “I served as a volunteer hospital board member for 9 years under its previous ownership and I have seen firsthand the impact this facility makes on Greenup County. My greatest fear is that if we can’t find a way to prevent it from closing, we will never see it reopen. I have called upon Governor Beshear’s office to work with me and our local officials to do all we can to keep the doors open and the people of this community served.”

 

The quote was from wsaz channel 3. A lot of people in Greenup County went to OLBH.

[JDEaston]

Rep. Danny Bentley of Russell issued the following statement upon hearing news that Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital will be closing in September of this year:

 

“The announcement that Bellefonte Hospital is closing is devastating news for our community. We have so many critical health care needs that are best met by a local facility,” Rep. Danny Bentley, a pharmacist and well respected advocate for access to quality health care said. “I served as a volunteer hospital board member for 9 years under its previous ownership and I have seen firsthand the impact this facility makes on Greenup County. My greatest fear is that if we can’t find a way to prevent it from closing, we will never see it reopen. I have called upon Governor Beshear’s office to work with me and our local officials to do all we can to keep the doors open and the people of this community served.”

 

The quote was from wsaz channel 3. A lot of people in Greenup County went to OLBH.

 

I honestly feel like it will stay open, or close briefly and reopen. KDMC doesnt have enough beds to serve Boyd and Greenup counties. The last time they tried to expand beds they were declined their request by the state, as the state said that Bellefonte isn't running at full capacity. In other words they were told to send people to Bellefonte if KDMC was full.

 

It's a mess regardless, but I really do feel like it will work itself out. I'm afraid that it may not stay a Catholic hospital though, which would force people in Kentucky and Ohio to go to St. Mary's in Huntington if they must go to a Catholic hospital.

[GOREDDEVILS]

Closing date is now April 30th per WSAZ Channel 3, due to not having enough staff to make it until the original closing date.

[JDEaston]

Closing date is now April 30th per WSAZ Channel 3, due to not having enough staff to make it until the original closing date.

 

Hearing this is kinda like facing a double edged sword. It sounds like good news for most of the employees because it means they have likely been hired on by other local health care providers. The bad news is still there for the people that live on that side of Ashland as well as those that choose to go to OLBH over KDMC for other reasons.

 

There are too many people living in the eastern half of Greenup County to not have a hospital there, imo. KDMC has said they will build something there to help reduce the influx of people to the ER in Ashland. But I imagine that will take some time and no one has really mentioned how many beds it will have, etc.