The Fitzgibbon Hospital Board of Trustees, in collaboration with management, has approved cost-cutting measures expected to save more than $2 million dollars annually. The announcement comes as Fitzgibbon attempts to combat unprecedented economic headwinds that many rural hospitals in Missouri are facing.
The measures include the closure of two outlying primary care clinics, closure of the inpatient behavioral health unit and ceasing operations of Fitzgibbon Home Health and Hospice services. All closures for services operated by the not-for-profit hospital will be effective December 31, 2025.
The sites ceasing operations at the end of the year include Grand River Medical Clinic in Brunswick, Fitzgibbon Family Health in Fayette, the Fitzgibbon Home Health and Hospice agency, the 10-bed inpatient behavioral health unit within the hospital, and the pain clinic services provided by Wally Ralston, CRNA/DNP, which will have the opportunity for care continuation for a period of 90 days.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Fitzgibbon Bud Summers stated: “These are not easy decisions, but it is our goal to make Fitzgibbon financially stable to be able to provide essential health care services to our community in the times ahead. These cost reductions will allow us to continue to provide reduced inpatient services, treatments in our Community Cancer Center, diagnostic procedures such as MRI and other high-tech radiology and colon cancer screenings as well as orthopedics, therapy and primary care, which all are so vital to our community. We don’t want to lose access to our core services, so that’s our aim.”
The contraction in services impacts approximately 30 staff members across the organization.