Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
KEENE, N.H. (AP) — Officials say an inpatient psychiatric unit at a Keene hospital is closing because of staffing issues.
New Hampshire Public Radio reports (http://bit.ly/1TMpGLM ) the move at Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene takes effect July 1. Officials say a psychiatrist shortage has curbed their ability to treat patients.
The unit is licensed to treat a dozen adults patients and six adolescents. But staffing issues have meant they've only had an average of three or four adults per day.
Hospital CEO Don Caruso says Cheshire spent three years trying to recruit psychiatrists. He says the health care industry needs to train more psychiatrists and increase reimbursements to providers to attract and retain more practitioners.
Thirty-three employees will be offered severance packages. Some may be reassigned in the hospital.
___
Information from: WEVO-FM, http://www.nhpr.org/
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.