Shriners Hospitals for Children in Springfield, Mass., will close its remaining inpatient beds and convert to an outpatient clinic model, local NBC affiliate WWLP reported April 20.
The transition will not affect current outpatient services except for ambulatory surgery, which will no longer be offered at the clinic. The pediatric orthopedic hospital, which employs about 200 people, will work with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to comply with regulations.
The hospital will also undergo a branding change and get a new name: Shriners Children's New England.
The news follows Shriners' plan to close an orthopedic hospital in Tampa, Fla. Shriners Children's Florida transitioned to outpatient-only care in 2019, but operating a clinic that offered only specialty care made it "challenging to deliver care efficiently," Shriners spokesperson Mel Bower said.
Shriners did not immediately respond to Becker's request for comment April 20.