Kessler Hospital ER Now AtlantiCare's
AtlantiCare took over Kessler Memorial Hospital's emergency department at 7:05 p.m. Thursday - five minutes after the 45-year-old facility closed its doors.
"We are looking to make a significant investment into the Kessler campus to guarantee that it will be up to our high standards," said Rene Z. Bunting, AtlantiCare's vice president of marketing and communications.....Continue Reading
Lori Herndon, AtlantiCare's chief operating officer, said AtlantiCare is leasing the existing emergency department and some space around it. Kessler's board is still responsible for the rest of the property, she said.
The transition took less than 24 hours, after Kessler officials terminated an agreement Wednesday night for cardiovascular surgeon B. Reddy Dandolu to buy the hospital for a reported $7.5 million. Hospital officials claim Dandolu failed to send an agreed-upon $300,000 down payment.
"I've been told that most times it takes weeks, if not months, to (make this kind of transition)," said Herndon, adding this is AtlantiCare's first foray into operating a satellite emergency department. "I was notified about it at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, and we were open by 7:05 p.m. Thursday."
The state Department of Health and Senior Services praised the officials from AtlantiCare, Kessler and Hammonton on the relatively seamless transition, according to spokeswoman Dawn Thomas.
"Even the other health care facilities worked together really well to find a place for the patients to go," said Thomas, adding 17 patients needed to be transported to other facilities when Kessler's regular hospital operations closed. "Everyone stepped up to the plate and worked together quickly to help provide the public continued access to health care."
The ripple effect
Lunch time used to be busy at Brother's Pizza.
Kessler employees would flood the White Horse Pike restaurant looking for a quick slice or healthier salad and sandwich options.
Owner George Scotto noticed a decline in business after Kessler could not afford to pay its employees last week.
But on Friday, he said, the pizzeria was dead.
"I'm already seeing the affects of the hospital closing," said Scotto, who has owned Brother's Pizza for more than 13 years and worked there for 15 years before that. "This is definitely going to hurt us."
Scotto said his business did not feel the effects of the current economic crisis until the hospital closed.
"I would hear people talk about how bad things were, but I didn't really notice it here. Now I'm seeing it," Scotto said. "I hope the town can find something else soon. Not because we need it for business. The people in the community need it."
The Maplewood Inn on the White Horse Pike does not deliver. But owner Jim Italiano made an exception for on-duty Kessler employees.
"We've always been supportive of the hospital. We loved the hospital," said Italiano, adding he would deliver to neighboring Kessler himself when his restaurant could not spare a server. "And it was normal to see a bunch of them in here after their shifts."
But Italiano said he is optimistic that his restaurant's reputation and regular customers will soften the blow.
"I'm sure that some of them will come by less because they're not close to us any more. I can understand that," he said. "But I hope that they'll still make an effort to stop by for lunch or dinner because they like our Italian meals."
Now what?
AtlantiCare plans to hold a series of public meetings to assess the community's future health care needs, Herndon said. The first of those meetings should be held within the next 30 to 45 days.
"The major financial commitment we made to mobilize (Thursday) speaks to our long-term commitment to the community," Herndon said.
That commitment could bring a new health care facility to Hammonton if the demand for one exists, Bunting said.
"We consider Hammonton part of our primary service area and we are working to make sure the citizen's of that community are cared for," she said. "There is a possibility that we could build another facility. Or it may include fitting something around an existing facility."
But AtlantiCare does not plan to open a hospital in Hammonton, she said.
Kessler's emergency room is now operating with only AtlantiCare staff, Herndon said, due to the short notice given for the transition. This includes three emergency room doctors who worked for Kessler but were also affiliated with AtlantiCare.
A satellite emergency room is not entirely the same as an emergency room attached to a hospital, and there are a few categories of patients who the state Department of Health and Senior Services says are "more appropriately treated" at an emergency room at a hospital. They are as follows:
According to the department, a satellite emergency department must provide basic life support emergency care and stat laboratory services, basic radiology services, defibrillators, advanced airway equipment, surgical airway equipment, suction equipment, an obstetric kit and emergency chest decompression equipment. Other services can be added at the facility's discretion.
Herndon said AtlantiCare is already in the process of screening former Kessler employees for employment.
AtlantiCare also plans to work with other health care providers to host a private job fair for laid off Kessler employees, Bunting said. The event is expected to take place next week, but the details were not finalized as of Friday afternoon.
AtlantiCare inherited two patients when it took over the emergency room Thursday night, officials said. Seven more came in before 8 a.m. A few of the patients were in serious enough condition to be sent to other facilities after being stabilized.
It was emergency treatment they would have had to wait at least 20 minutes for if the emergency room did not stay open.
"It's working already," Bunting said.
E-mail Robert Spahr: RSpahr@pressofac.com
This story was taken from the news source stated above. It is not the opinion of The Elwood Vol. Fire Company or it's members.
