KGMI News
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center is closing its inpatient rehabilitation facility.
Spokesperson Beverly Mayhew says patients won’t be admitted to the rehab facility after September and the 14 bed unit will be transitioned to serve surgical patients and those with acute illnesses.
She says PeaceHealth will open a new permanent inpatient rehab unit at PeaceHealth United General Medical Center in Sedro-Woolley in July and will work with its healthcare partners in the North Sound and Seattle area to accommodate patients until then.
And they’ll work to place patients in facilities as close to Bellingham as possible.
PeaceHealth hopes to retain all the of the unit’s employees as St. Joseph Medical Center currently has over 200 job openings.
Mayhew says patient demand is driving the closure as the hospital cared for a record number of patients last year and it needs more capacity for people recovering from surgery, illness or accidents.
