Local business owner expresses concerns, offers solutions, about PHE labor and delivery department closure
ST. MARYS - A local business owner addressed concerns echoed by fellow industry leaders about the upcoming closure of Penn Highlands Elk’s Maternal and Child Center effective May 1.
The closure was announced in February by the Penn Highlands Healthcare System. Their plans involve transitioning labor and delivery services to Penn Highlands DuBois while continuing to offer prenatal and postpartum care, exams, testing, ultrasounds and prenatal classes at the PHE campus in St. Marys.
During a recent St. Marys City Council meeting Nate Higgins, founder of FreeFORM Technologies of St. Marys, addressed what has been done about the closure and what can be done to prevent it.
“The hospital is very important to the community and its growth. It is a cornerstone of our community,” Higgins said, noting St. Marys had a hospital before they had city sewage.
As a business owner Higgins said they work to attract talent to the area and losing this cornerstone makes their efforts more challenging.
The story he said they always tell people coming in from outside the area is this is a great place to raise a family. “Now without the ability to have and start a family in this community, this makes that a tough story to tell.”
Penn Highlands Healthcare is a 501c3 nonprofit. Higgins explained in Pennsylvania this means it has to be a purely public charity, “in my opinion they are falling short of that commitment”.
He stated that PHE is highly profitable, reporting it contributes about 10% of Penn Highlands Healthcare’s total revenue, and at least 30% to the overall profitability of the health network.
“What are we getting for that profitability? Not a lot. We are getting a health system that’s expanding into State College. That is not a rural community last time I checked,” Higgins said.
In regard to expanding services locally, Higgins said that a specialist from PH-DuBois visits the area once a month, meaning if a patient needs to schedule an appointment with them, they are waiting months for that appointment.
Higgins stated the inability to have procedures performed locally has left operating rooms at PHE empty as services are moving to PHH’s Brookville, Clearfield and DuBois facilities.
“There’s a large ‘sucking sound’ coming out of Elk County right now, for those that aren’t paying attention. With those services, our money is leaving the area, also,” Higgins said.
When PHH acquired Elk Regional, an acronym they were using was to secure, enhance and expand services.
“It’s pretty easy to put a finger on it, that that’s not what is happening. We’ve been constantly losing services, not expanding them,” he said.
In referencing a meeting with PHH administration, Higgins stated they described their expansion in the area as acquiring the pharmacy and eye center in St. Marys, services which were already in place.
Higgins explained he has assembled a small group of industry leaders to fight this closure, but stated PHH has never reached out to
them for help. Among the health system’s justifications in the closure is their inability to recruit physicians to the area, as noted by Higgins.
“Myself along with several of the other industry leaders have said ‘ask us for help’. We have a lot of resources. We recruit talent to the area. We are recruiting higher-level engineers and managers to the area, I don’t think recruiting physicians would be too far outside of that scope,” he said.
More and more expectant mothers are going to DuBois to deliver their babies, but Higgins said if you look at those numbers they are pretty stable over the last 10 years at PHE. A consistent trend he said he hears when talking with expectant mothers is that they are going to DuBois because they can’t take the wait times at Dr. Koch’s office, an OBGYN at PHE.
“To me that doesn’t sound like a birth issue, that sounds like an administration issue that’s not supporting our local health system,” Higgins said.
In regard to patient safety, Higgins said that although he is not a physician, “for 100 years, we delivered babies in Elk County safely.” PHH notes their DuBois facility offers a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and larger blood bank.
Higgins said while these are all good points his fear is PHH can use the same exact rational to say St.
Marys doesn’t need hospital here at all.
“And I don’t think that’s far off to where this is headed. We’re at the edge of a very slippery slope,” Higgins added.
All local ambulatory services have voiced their concerns with PHH who said they are committed to providing additional training “so hopefully that training comes through”, he said.
While PHH has cited they plan to continue to offer all pre and post gynecological care at PHE, Higgins questions what will happen if Dr. Koch leaves. He described Dr. Koch as “a highly qualified physician and has great approval ratings from most people” adding he hope he stays in the area and doesn’t get frustrated.
If women’s care services leave in general, Higgins relayed that he has spoke to many experts in the healthcare industry who said this “is the death of a healthcare system.”
While he presented the challenges and struggles Higgins also offered a solution as to what can be done.
“We’ve come to PHH with solutions, but they haven’t been very open to our solutions,” Higgins said.
Among the groups efforts are working with elected officials including county commissioners, Senators Casey, Fetterman and Dush, State Representative Armanini, Congressman Thompson and Governor Shapiro’s office.
“My biggest frustration is none of those offices have any evidence that PHH is reaching out to them for help, saying that they want a to solve the problem of rural healthcare”, Higgins said.
A second option is to explore alternative options with PHH.
“We don’t want to make Penn Highlands the enemy. We think they’re key to the success of our community. We want to grow, secure, enhance and expand services,” Higgins said.
Solutions include continuing to work with local industry to attract and retain talent. He noted often a physician’s spouse is from an educated background and they can help with any career placement for them in the area.
PH cites births in Elk County are decreasing. Higgins stated part of the acquisition of Elk Regional is the board of PH said they were going to extend into the Northern Tier area to help expectant mothers from Cameron and McKean counties.
“There’s a huge opportunity here,” he said. “This now leaving has left a six-county hole in the middle of the state. I think with the correct administration and a unique approach, I think you could pull services from those areas.”
Higgins noted it is not unknown that Punxsutawney Area Hospital is growing which he cited is partially due to people leaving DuBois to go there for emergency services.
A final option where Higgins said they are likely headed is to pursue options outside of PH by exploring models of birthing centers, competing health networks and working with rural health consortiums.
Higgins stated city council is the cornerstone in St. Marys and encouraged them to assist with linking industry, healthcare and elected officials to continue to drive to help solve Elk County’s problems and make this a great place to raise a family.
Higgins requested council pass a motion supporting a delay in the closure to explore other options which would buy them more time. This request has been asked several times along with the county commissioners.
“An expectant mother has nine months, they gave expectant mothers 90 days,” Higgins said. “I think that’s a huge disservice to our community.”
He encouraged members of council to reach out to PH board members and leadership and elected officials to voice their opinions and concerns about the closure.
Higgins stated Elk County deserves a unique approach developed to support and create motivated leaders.
“We have a profitable health network. We’re not the doom and gloom of rural health systems. We have a bright future. It’s not a one size fits all, cookie cutter approach developed by a consultant who has determined in general rural healthcare is challenging,” he said. “This is not a model that best services people in the surrounding communities.”
“Us as business leaders, we are concerned about our hospital, our residents, and about the elimination of the labor and delivery (department) will have on the viability of our community and employers,” Higgins stated.