Becker's ASC Review

82 HEALTHCARE NEWS Kansas hospital abruptly closes, blames physicians for financial troubles By Ayla Ellison S umner Community Hospital in Wellington, Kan., closed March 12 without providing notice to employees or the local community, according to the Wichita Business Journal. Most local residents found out the hospital closed by a sign on the main entrance to the facility, which provided no explana- tion as to why the facility shut down. A statement from Kansas City Mo.-based Rural Hospital Group, which acquired the hospital in 2018, cited financial difficulties and lack of support from local physicians as reasons for the closure. "… lack of support from the local medical community was the primary reason we are having to the close the hospital," reads a state- ment from RHG, according to the Wichita Business Journal. "We regret having to make this decision; however, despite operating the hospital in the most fiscally responsible man- ner possible, we simply could not overcome the divide that has existed from the time we purchased the hospital until today." Sumner Community Hospital is the first hos- pital RHG has closed, the company's chief legal officer Dennis Davis told e Topeka Capital-Journal. "e city of Wellington, authority board, people in Wellington supported us as much as they can," Mr. Davis told the Capital- Journal. "But the only people who admit patients to hospitals are doctors, and when you don't have the doctors' support, a small, rural hospital cannot make it." Sumner Community Hospital has about 75 employees. ey were told at the end of the workday March 12 that they no longer had jobs, according to the Wichita Business Journal. n A look back at swine flu: 8 facts about the world's last pandemic in 2009 By Mackenize Bean T he World Health Organization on March 11 declared the COV- ID-19 outbreak a pandemic, the first such declaration in 11 years. Here's a look back on the 2009 swine flu pandemic with eight key facts from the CDC: 1. The flu strain responsible for the outbreak — influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 — was first detected in America in April 2009. 2. The strain represented a unique combination of influenza viruses never before seen in humans or animals. 3. The virus quickly spread globally, primarily affecting children and adults under 65 who lacked immunity to H1N1. 4. The WHO declared the swine flu outbreak a pandemic on June 11, 2009. 5. Between April 12, 2009, and April 10, 2010, the CDC estimates swine flu caused 60.8 million illnesses, 273,304 hospitalizations and 12,469 deaths in the U.S. 6. On Oct. 5, 2009, the U.S. began administering a newly approved H1N1 vaccine to select Americans, with vaccination coverage expand- ing nationwide by that December. 7. WHO declared an end to the pandemic on Aug. 10, 2010. 8. Globally, an estimated 151,700 to 575,400 people died from swine flu in the first year of the pandemic. n Arizona CRNA charged in narcotics theft at ASC, health system By Angie Stewart A certified registered nurse anesthe- tist was arrested in Arizona Feb. 27 for allegedly stealing narcotics from Sunrise Ambulatory Surgical Center and Summit Healthcare, according to wmicen- tral.com. Melissa Green was charged with felony theft, fraud, possession of narcotic drugs and possession of dangerous drugs. Hospital cameras captured Ms. Green entering the room where Show Low, Ariz.- based Summit Healthcare stores narcotic drugs, according to police. She allegedly stole liquid fentanyl from that room and took partially used bottles of fentanyl from Sunrise, which is based in Lakeside, Ariz. In Ms. Green's home, police allegedly found multiple empty bottles of fentanyl, used syringes and a narcotic drug for which she didn't have a prescription. n

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