One of the two hospitals in McKean County will close its emergency department on Sunday, as the Bradford Regional Medical Center downgrades from a hospital to an outpatient center, worrying local residents.
Hospital leaders at New York-based Kaleida Health, which owns the Bradford hospital, said they're dropping several services in Bradford, including chemotherapy, its pharmacy and the emergency room. They cited escalating financial pressures, a shrinking rural population and Pennsylvania restrictions on outpatient emergency centers.
“It’s frightening," said Margie Brown, a member of the "Save Bradford Hospital" community coalition.
Brown's parents live in Bradford, and she said the drive to Olean can take much longer in poor weather conditions.
“We’ve had some really bad winters and that is really what terrifies me the most," Brown said.
Brown worries about her 81-year-old father who’s had multiple strokes.
“My dad has lived there since he was born and his parents before that, and his mother’s parents before that, and he doesn’t want to leave there," Brown said. "It’s sad, you know?"
The next closest hospital emergency department is in Olean, New York, which is about a half hour away. The other McKean County hospital, UPMC Kane, is even farther away — about a 45 minute drive.
Mike Ward, Bradford's police chief, previously said he worries the emergency department closure will lead to longer transportation times and delayed medical treatments for victims and people in crisis. Ward also said the closure will keep police officers out of service longer while they travel to distant facilities for violent crime investigations.
"The City of Bradford Police Department will continue working with our healthcare partners, EMS and regional agencies to adapt and ensure we maintain the highest level of service possible," Ward said. "However, there is no question this development presents serious challenges for public safety and community well-being."
Kaleida officials previously said they tried to convert the hospital to an outpatient emergency department without inpatient beds, but that Pennsylvania law doesn't allow for that.
LECOM, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, is in negotiations to acquire parts of the Bradford hospital. But, those plans don’t include having an emergency department.
The Bradford Regional Medical Center will still offer primary care and specific specialty clinics, including cardiology, medical oncology, pediatrics, general surgery and wound care, orthopedics and sports medicine, occupational health, women’s health, urology and a lab draw station.
