Pekin Hospital Proposes to Discontinue Its Long Term Care Category of Service

Pekin Hospital is in the process of developing and submitting a permit application to the IHFSRB (Illinois Health Facilities State Review Board) to discontinue its Skilled Nursing Facility.  The Skilled Nursing Facility has been in operation since 1993, but in the past few years has seen a significant decline in utilization and reimbursement.  Additional cuts in Medicare reimbursement of 11% as of October 2011, further compromises the financial viability of the Unit.

As part of the application process, impact letters have been sent to 55 Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities in the region to determine their ability to care for these types of patients and their capacity to do so.  Our initial analysis indicates there are sufficient LTC beds in the area so access will not be compromised.

The closing of the Skilled Nursing Facility will allow Pekin Hospital to utilize the space for acute care patients and provide the Hospital the ability to increase the number of private patient rooms.  The discontinuation is seen as a necessary move for improving infection control processes, quality of care, safety, privacy, and patient satisfaction.

Pekin Hospital will be working with the current staff of the Skilled Nursing Facility over the next several months to find other positions within the system as appropriate.  The Skilled Nursing Facility is not expected to close until midsummer or until all regulatory requirements are met.