Letter to the Editor - The Millerton News - 2-3-22

Closing of ICU at Sharon Hospital an appalling plan

Nuvance, the present owner of Sharon Hospital, planned to eliminate the Sharon Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on Feb. 1, with barely a word to the community and without approval from the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy (OHS). Fortunately, an inspection on Jan. 26 by the Connecticut State Health Department delayed the change until April. Nuvance still plans to substitute the ICU with a progressive care unit (PCU), which will be part of the medical-surgical unit in a different location staffed by medical-surgical nurses and not ICU trained nurses. 

This is a significant loss of healthcare access for our community, as this new unit would not provide the level of care typical of ICUs. In spite of the COVID epidemic, Nuvance has already eliminated half of the ICU beds. In addition, four of our 11 ICU nurses left after Nuvance administration told ICU staff its plans. Eliminating the ICU would only save about $600,000, according to an outside consultant, while the cost to the community cannot be quantified. 

Since this summer, Nuvance has implemented a new administrative policy requiring that patients sick enough to require ICU-level admission must be transferred or diverted from the Sharon Emergency Room (ER) to other institutions, instead of being admitted to our ICU. Nuvance has even institutionalized this process without formal approval by OHS. By electing to bypass the formal process, Nuvance is now asking for permission after the fact. Its petition is still under review. 

The loss of our ICU would have real-world consequences for our community. Recently, we had a patient in our emergency room with respiratory failure, requiring emergent intubation. However, intubated patients require ICU-level care, so under the new policy this patient could not be admitted here. It was only after unsuccessful attempts were made to transfer the patient to multiple institutions, and after the doctors pleaded with Sharon Hospital and Nuvance administrators, that the intubated patient was allowed an exemption to be admitted here. I am pleased to report that the patient did well, but this is only because of the strength of our hospital staff. There will be other times when it is not possible to transfer critically ill patients, but if Nuvance’s plan to close the ICU is approved by OHS, it will not be possible to admit ICU-level patients at Sharon Hospital, even when transferring a patient is not an option.

It is appalling that Nuvance is more interested in profit than providing the levels of care needed in our community. We have an incredible staff and quality of care here in Sharon Hospital, but Nuvance seems intent on diminishing this in the name of cost savings. If we do not fight, we will lose our local, quality healthcare. Hopefully, OHS and elected officials in Hartford can intervene and Save Sharon Hospital.

David R. Kurish, MD

Sharon