Indiana University Health Blackford announced last week it will be stopping emergency care and inpatient care services in the near future, due to reduction in patient volume.
Jeffrey Bird, president of IU Health’s East Central Region, said in a release they’re taking steps to “right-size” services to match the declining patient volume.
According to 2022 census data, Blackford County has a population of 11,919, with 22 percent of the population over the age of 65. Additionally, 17.4 percent under the age of 65 have a disability. Thirteen percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
Indiana Hospital Association president Brian Tabor said in an email that while the decision is largely due to declining occupancy, he expects “more reductions in services over the coming months” due to federal reimbursement cuts, continuing staffing shortages and the “overall fragile state of hospitals’ finances.”
IU Health’s neighboring hospitals Ball Memorial and Jay will provide emergency care, which are 36 minutes south and 30 minutes west of Blackford hospital, respectively.
Marion General in Grant County is also 30 minutes away.
Earlier this year, Plymouth-based St. Joseph Health Systems closed its women's’ health offices. Last month, Fort Wayne's Lutheran Hospital closed its inpatient burn and heart transplant units.
