District cancels this year’s local health fair
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South Lincoln Hospital District (SLHD) board of trustees have announced that beginning June 1, the hospital will no longer provide obstetrics (labor and delivery) and the operating room (OR) will no longer be available for on-call, 24/7 emergency surgeries. The hospital will still provide same-day surgical services, Monday through Friday, arranged with a primary care provider.
SLHD Board President Michelle Pollard, Dr. Christopher Krell and South Lincoln Medical Center CEO Dave Ryerse announced the changes at the hospital via YouTube in a video that also announced the cancellation of this year’s local health fair.
“We did not take this decision lightly,” Pollard said in the video. “This was a hard decision, and we will continue to do the best job we can under the circumstances.”
The hospital has experienced a decline in staff and has been unable to recruit the numbers of surgical nurses required to maintain the availability of a surgical team all the time. Any birth delivery requires a surgical team standing by in case there is a need for a C-section.
“I am sorry this has to happen,” Krell said. “We have been providing deliveries here for many years. We have informed the five maternity patients we currently have. We will be happy to arrange prenatal care and make referrals for deliveries at other hospitals.”
Ryerse said the Kemmerer hospital has faced many challenges over the past two years due to COVID-19 and the last five to six months had been critical. SLHD has also experienced challenges with supply chains for highly-technical and highly-specialized components, along with resources, due to the pandemic and other geographical forces.
“Because the supply chain has not been sustainable and we can’t get enough of the necessary supplies, we have made the decision to cancel the health fair this year,” Ryerse said. “We are working hard on supply chains and are hopeful for the future.”
Dr. Krell added that they still have some emergency lab testing supplies, but not enough for the 1,000 people they might expect at a fair. He said that it is a nationwide problem and has affected many hospitals. He recommended that if a person has a medical emergency or medical condition and needs lab work, he or she should contact their primary care provider to arrange testing.
According to the SLHD website, the board will continue to monitor and review the needs for additional services in the future.
