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NEDERLAND — Mid Jefferson Extended Care Hospital in Nederland closed its doors and laid off 48 employees but plans to keep the Beaumont campus open.

Troy Picard, CEO of Mid Jefferson Extended Care Hospital, said the recent ending of the federal public health emergency impacted the type of patients the facility can take and how they are reimbursed.

“It’s very unfortunate for the community we serve,” Picard said, adding they provide extended care services as opposed to short-term services. “I think about my loved ones and if they needed this higher level of care. I wouldn’t want them to have lower level care.”

Doors to the Nederland campus at 9th Avenue and FM 365 were closed Tuesday and patients transferred to the Beaumont location at 860 S. 8th St.

Picard said they have people lobbying for the long-term health care funding and he’s optimistic there could be a change in the future.

He also fears other long-term facilities such as his could close.

Mark rice, president of Priority Hospital Group that manages Mid Jefferson’s campuses, called the closure a very sad and unfortunate time for the community and the people who have worked tirelessly throughout the past few years of the COVID pandemic.

Rice said in a news release that despite his traveling to Washington D.C. to meet with lawmakers, Congress still allowed the Public Health Emergency benefits to end without making allowances for specific types of hospitals like Mid-Jeff.

Statement from Priority

The end of the PHE created the perfect storm. It left specialty hospitals like Mid-Jeff saddled with higher costs, labor shortages and outdated admission criteria, disqualifying many sick individuals who actually did qualify for Mid Jeff’s level of care due to their severity of illness and intensity of care needed, officials said.

The result is fewer patients qualify for Mid Jeff’s services. The sudden and immediate cessation of provisions afforded to certain types of hospitals like Mid-Jeff during the pandemic, ended this month without consideration of the impact on communities and access to care, officials added.

Rice went on to say, “Frankly, it is extremely disappointing that lawmakers had such lackadaisical responses to our urgent pleas to intervene and prevent this from happening. This is forcing many specialty hospitals across the country like ours to close their doors or consolidate multiple campuses into fewer locations.”

Rice wanted to make it clear that only the Nederland campus is being forced to close.

“Golden Triangle and surrounding area patients will still be happily cared for at the Beaumont location,” a news release stated.