From financial challenges to declining admissions, here are four hospitals that filed for bankruptcy, closed or announced plans to close so far in August:
1. Mercy Iowa City has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Northern District of Iowa. The filing includes a reference to a letter of intent between Mercy Iowa City and the State of Iowa that outlines a plan to transition the hospital to become part of UI Health Care. The affiliation requires approval from the university board of regents, state of Iowa, and the bankruptcy court.
2. South City Hospital, a 178-bed facility in St. Louis, plans to close in the coming weeks because of financial challenges. The 154-year-old hospital has been under receivership for the past few months. It began transferring patients to other facilities this week, and began winding down the facility Aug. 4.
3. Martin General Hospital, a 49-bed facility in Williamston, N.C., suspended operations Aug. 3 and plans to file for bankruptcy. Martin General, which lost $13 million in 2022, cited financial challenges related to declining population and utilization trends as reasons for the decision. The nearest emergency room is ECU Health Beaufort Hospital in Washington, N.C., 22 miles south of Martin General.
4. Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Corewell Health will close its Lakeview, Mich.-based Spectrum Health Kelsey Hospital in October after a steady decline in admissions. In June, Corewell opened a $12 million care center a few minutes away from Spectrum Health Kelsey.