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12 Hospitals That Had to Officially Close Their Doors in 2024

Will the closures impact your ability to get medical care?

Person in hospital bed
Updated Sept. 24, 2024
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As more hospitals close their doors, it can be tougher to access health care services.

Rural community hospitals are at especially high risk for closing, with around 50% operating at a loss, according to a study by Chartis Center for Rural Health.

When hospitals close, it can impact your health and, if you have to pay to travel to another hospital, your financial fitness.

So far, 12 hospitals in the U.S. have announced they will close in 2024. Is your local facility one of them? Check this list to find out.

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Select Specialty Hospital: Longview, Texas

Rawpixel.com/Adobe Nurse wearing gloves in hospital room

Select Specialty Hospital is expected to close in June. It is located inside Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, and the host hospital decided not to renew the lease.

Select Specialty Hospital serves as a critical illness recovery hospital for patients. Those impacted by the closure include physical, respiratory, and occupational therapists.

Prairieville Family Hospital: Prairieville, Louisiana

NVB Stocker/Adobe organized hospital Recovery Room with bed

The Louisiana Department of Health recently shut down Prairieville Family Hospital in Prairieville, Louisiana.

The department said the facility didn’t meet the minimum requirements for the average number of days patients stayed there.

Papillion Family Hospital: Papillion, Nebraska

Pitchayaarch/Adobe male doctor holding female patient hand

Papillion Family Hospital in Papillion, Nebraska, was abruptly shut down in March due to financial woes.

Dr. Henry Higgins — CEO of the parent company of the hospital, Family Hospital Systems — said the facility had to close immediately or risk not paying workers for the hours they worked.

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Family Hospital at Millard: Omaha, Nebraska

Gorodenkoff/Adobe male patient with heart rate monitor

The Family Hospital at Millard, also owned by Family Hospital Systems, closed in January due to financial issues.

Some employees at that facility moved to Papillion Family Hospital, only to see their new location eventually close its doors.

New England Sinai Hospital: Stoughton, Massachusetts

Flamingo Images/Adobe doctor reviewing reports with internees

The April closure of New England Sinai Hospital was expected. Several months ago, Dallas-based Steward Health Care — which owns the hospital — announced it would be closing the facility.

Steward Health Care said it had lost $22 million on operations and that nearly 75% of patients were on Medicare or Medicaid, which was underpaying for services.

Stringfellow Memorial Hospital: Anniston, Alabama

pikselstock/Adobe nurse with senior woman in wheelchair

Stringfellow Memorial Hospital in Anniston, Alabama, won’t shut down completely but instead will transition to providing different care.

The hospital’s in-patient and emergency services are being moved to another facility while the current building is transitioned to outpatient care and an urgent care facility.

St. Joseph's Hospital: Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

Gorodenkoff/Adobe male patient resting in hospital bed

St. Joseph's Hospital in Chippewa Falls announced it would be closing in March.

The hospital, which was run by Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), had already suspended surgical services in October due to operational and staffing challenges.

Sacred Heart Hospital: Eau Claire, Wisconsin

santypan/Adobe surgeons performing surgery in operation theater

Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire was also part of the Wisconsin closures initiated by Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS).

The hospital shut down on the same day as St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls.

Jellico Regional Hospital: Jellico, Tennessee

Ilzer/peopleimages.com/Adobe female neurosurgeon planning surgery using tablet

Jellico Regional Hospital in Jellico, Tennessee, had to close its doors due to a lack of administration for the hospital.

The hospital’s CEO resigned, and the company that owned the facility decided to pull out of the building in March.

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Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital: Ontonagon, Michigan

spotmatikphoto/Adobe hospital corridor with patient on stretcher

Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital in Ontonagon, Michigan, stopped providing hospital care and emergency care in April.

The company that owns the hospital converted it to a rural health clinic with primary care, imaging services, and other types of patient care instead.

The Medical Center of Southeast Texas: Port Arthur, Texas

spotmatikphoto/Adobe doctors walking through hospital corridor

The Medical Center of Southeast Texas in Port Arthur was closed due to a lack of patients.

Steward Health Care, which owned the facility, said one of the main reasons it closed was because the hospital was underutilized by the community.

Kettering Health Piqua: Pipqua, Ohio

Spiroview Inc./Adobe direction signboard outside hospital building

The Kettering Health facility in Piqua, Ohio, continues to remain open but is now focused on primary care options after shutting down its emergency room facilities.

A drop in the number of emergency cases at the health facility led to the shutdown of the emergency room.

Bottom line

Drazen/Adobe senior couple doing medical insurance paperwork

It can be difficult to cover hospital expenses, especially if you live in an area without a hospital and have to travel to find one. But there are ways you can save money to make sure you get the care you need.

For example, consider opening a high-yield savings account at your local bank or financial institution so you can build an emergency fund. That way, you won’t need to go into credit card debt to pay for unexpected medical expenses.

You can also trim your costs by contributing to a health savings account if you are eligible to do so.

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Author Details

Jenny Cohen

Jenny Cohen is a freelance writer who has covered a bit of everything, from finance to sports to her favorite TV shows. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and FoxSports.com.