OHH Considers ER Cuts

Olney Hamilton Hospital staff told the hospital’s board on Friday that they are considering further service reductions, including plans to downgrade the hospital’s trauma designation and eliminate the requirement for an on-call anesthesiologist.

The discussion at the OHH board meeting on March 28 follows last year’s decision to end the hospital’s labor and delivery services starting in June — a move that marked a major shift from the assurances made to voters during the hospital bond election in 2023, when the hospital board said the new facility would offer the same services as the existing hospital.

During its March 28 meeting, the hospital board discussed possibly downgrading the hospital’s trauma certification from a Level IV to a Level V trauma center. Under the current Level IV designation, the hospital is required to provide advanced trauma life support and stabilization for critical patients before transferring them to a higher-level trauma center. Level V designation would require only basic evaluation, stabilization, and preparation for transfer.

Hospital staff also said they plan to drop the requirement for an on-call anesthesiologist, meaning that physicians or nurses will be responsible for administering anesthesia during emergency procedures.

Dr. Chantel Taylor, who oversees emergency services at the hospital, confirmed the proposed changes, which she said are aimed at lowering operating costs at the new facility.

The board’s consideration of these cuts comes as it announced a new addition to its women’s health staff: Dr. John Axline, who will join Dr. Taylor to build a women’s health program focused on gynecological surgeries and procedures. Although Dr. Taylor will continue to provide prenatal care at OHH, she will have to deliver Olney’s babies 34 miles away at the Seymour Hospital, starting on June 1. The hospital’s labor and delivery services will not return under current plans.

Board member Lyndsey Miller said she is continuing to seek grant funding and alternative financing to potentially restore labor and delivery services in the future. She is currently exploring the New Markets Tax Credit Program, a federal initiative that could provide up to $3.5 million in funding for hospital operations and construction if the hospital qualifies.