Boulder City (Nev.) Hospital converted from a critical access hospital to a rural emergency hospital May 1, ending inpatient admissions — including stays longer than 24 hours — while continuing to provide emergency and outpatient care.
The transition includes the closure of inpatient units and a related mass layoff affecting 71 employees, according to the hospital’s notice filed under the federal WARN Act. Fox affiliate KVVU reported that 15 of those affected employees were placed into open roles.
Under the rural emergency hospital model, the facility will continue providing 24/7 emergency department services, observation care and outpatient services. Patients requiring inpatient hospitalization will be stabilized and transferred to other hospitals in the region, according to a public notice.
“At Boulder City Hospital, our priority is to provide a safe and equitable healthcare experience for all. We are committed to providing compassionate, quality care for everyone. Our rural emergency hospital provides emergency services, skilled nursing rehabilitation and therapy services, and long term and outpatient behavioral healthcare, as well as easily accessible ancillary services, including radiology, laboratory, same-day outpatient surgery, and a primary care and family practice clinic,” CEO Thomas Maher said in a statement shared with Becker’s. “The last 30 days have been a difficult transition, but we are confident this conversion will help keep quality healthcare services in our community for the future.”
CMS’ rural emergency hospital designation took effect in January 2023 to help curb rural hospital closures. The model allows facilities to close infrequently used inpatient beds and focus on emergency and outpatient services. In exchange, hospitals receive a 5% Medicare outpatient payment increase and an average annual facility payment of about $3.2 million.
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