BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) One of North America’s top burn treatment facilities is set to close in Bakersfield this summer, prompting nurses and community members to plan a rally in hopes of keeping it open.
Dignity Health released a statement at the start of April saying Bakersfield Memorial Hospital will close the Grossman Burn Center on June 30.
The letter cited “evolving community health needs” for the closure.
The burn unit has long served patients in Kern County and beyond, providing critical treatment for people suffering severe burns and other injuries.
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital to close Grossman Burn Center unit June 30, Dignity says (KBAK/KBFX)
Jessica Guthrie Montes, a registered nurse in critical care at Memorial Hospital, said staff have not been given clear answers about why the unit is shutting down.
“They’re not very clear about the exact reasons,” Guthrie Montes said.
She emphasized the importance of quick, timely response to burn injuries and said the center has helped patients get faster care and improved outcomes.
“We were really grateful to have this hospital sign on with Grossman and build a unit here at Bakersfield Memorial because it meant that our patients are getting timely care. Look at the recovery rate, we have better outcomes,” she said.
The Grossman Burn Foundation operates other centers in West Hills, California, and Kansas City, Missouri.
Guthrie Montes said burn centers across the state work together to treat patients and closing one could ripple across multiple regions.
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital to close Grossman Burn Center unit June 30, Dignity says (KBAK/KBFX)
“Taking one burn center out of that impacts several units, several areas, several counties. Now we are in contention with each other or even competition as to which patients get accepted,” she said.
In response to the planned closure, nurses and members of the community will hold a rally Friday morning outside Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, hoping to prevent the shutdown.
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital to close Grossman Burn Center unit June 30, Dignity says (KBAK/KBFX)
“We’re just trying to raise more community awareness and get eyes on. Look, we really need to have this service in this community,” Guthrie Montes said.