Dem lawmakers hear testimony on the impact of hospital closures, service reductions
Hospital closures and service reductions can lead to poorer patient health outcomes and put more pressure on remaining providers forced to absorb demand.
That was a theme of testimony offered Tuesday at a joint hearing of the state House and Senate Democratic Policy committees at Lackawanna College. The session focused on “health care deserts,” where economic, social or geographic barriers limit the accessibility and availability of care.
Deserts in that context sometimes refer to a lack of specialty care, such as behavioral or maternal health care, even in areas where other types of care are more accessible. Tammy Torres, president of Lehigh Valley Hospital — Hazleton, testified to the impact a lack of specialty services can have on the broader health care landscape.
Inadequate access to primary care and early intervention for behavioral health issues often cause symptoms to escalate, increasing the strain on hospital systems left to treat more complex patients in an environment with fewer dedicated behavioral health facilities available, Torres told the panel of lawmakers. Many such patients spend extended periods of time in hospitals and emergency rooms pending placement in an appropriate facility.
Health care executives, experts and doctors told the newspaper last year that a lack of available behavioral health beds was contributing to emergency room crowding and longer wait times for patients.
Torres also discussed challenges many expectant mothers face accessing maternal health, noting more than 12% of women in Pennsylvania, including more than 47% of women in rural counties, live more than 30 minutes from a birthing hospital. Service reductions and closures can exacerbate those challenges, too.
She called for more state funding for Medicaid supplemental payments to providers of obstetrics, neonatal and similar services — funding that could help guard against additional closures.
Meanwhile, Patrick Keenan, director of policy and partnerships for the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, told the panel the vast majority of full or partial hospital closures follow mergers, acquisitions or ownership changes. Written testimony he submitted cites a 2023 statewide survey that found 58% of Pennsylvanians worry about the impacts of hospital mergers in their communities.
The same survey found 86% of Pennsylvanians want the government to strengthen policies driving more competition in health care markets to improve choices, according to the testimony.
State Rep. Bridget Kosierowski and state Sen. Marty Flynn co-hosted Tuesday’s session, with state Reps. Kyle Mullins and Kyle Donahue and other Democratic lawmakers from out of the area also participating. It featured a lengthy question-and-answer period.
Video of the hearing and copies of the written testimony are available online via pahouse.com/policy.
Another policy committee hearing hosted by Donahue and focused on independent pharmacies will take place Wednesday at Scranton Counseling Center, beginning at 10 a.m. It also will be streamed live.
