Vibra Hospital of Springfield plans to close, cites loss of revenue

Only eight years after opening, a 50-bed, for-profit hospital specializing in the care of patients needing stays of a month or longer for complex medical conditions, is on track to close by March 31.

Vibra Hospital of Springfield, 701 N. Walnut St., will close because of “reductions in health-care reimbursement and changes in referral practices over the past twelve months,” according to a letter from the hospital’s interim chief executive officer, Barbara Callaghan.

Callaghan was unavailable for comment Tuesday night. But a copy of a letter dated Tuesday from Callaghan to “patients and families of Vibra Hospital” that was on the front desk at the hospital entrance said the payment cuts and referral changes “have made continuing operations in this location unsustainable.”

It was unclear how many patients were being served by the facility — known as a “long-term acute-care” hospital — located immediately west of the Mid-Illinois Medical District. It’s also unclear how many workers are employed there and what will happen to the property after the hospital closes.

Read more: https://www.sj-r.com/news/20181218/vibra-hospital-of-springfield-plans-to-close-cites-loss-of-revenue