Hahnemann Hospital is Dying Putting Hundreds of Residency and Fellowship Spots At Risk

[demoticcurette]

I'm partway through a training program at Hahnemann. The hospital is in financial crisis and is very likely to close. This is the source of a great deal of stress and angst among the residents and fellows here.

In April, the CEO called out Cardiology and medical training programs as "money losers", stating the hospital is losing 5 million dollars a month. “We are hopeful we won’t have to close the hospital, but it will require the help of others.”

175 people woke up one day without a job. Nurses and ancillary staff. At least two hospital floors are shuttered overnight without warning, bringing down admission capacity to around 200 from a nominal 500+. They continue to ask for volunteers to be laid off. Overhearing conversations in the hallways it's always about "who's left" and "who's next" in terms of losing their job.

Now the unions are suing them for not meeting pension obligations.

So far, at least one program director has openly advised trainees to go on a month to month lease if they can. Other program directors have openly asked for trainees to submit lists of places they would like to go when the hospital closes. One department circulated copies of an article describing what happened when St. Vincents closed. I have heard rumors that other hospitals are making changes to handle the extra patient burden that will come with Hahnemann's closure.

The last time this happened pretty much everyone landed on their feet. Which is fine, but it's maddening not knowing what's going to happen. I can't get a month to month lease and my lease is running out soon. I cannot imagine what is going through the head of anyone who matched here.

So if anyone hears anything, knows anything or has any questions as to what happens this would be the place to post.

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[Onewhen]

Wow. I interviewed there for IM and had a bad vibe and was confused that another private group was taking over the hospital. People who interviewed me were acting out as if they're a top tier program though. I hope no resident is harmed in the process.

 

[DoReMiFaSo]

Awful to hear... There's been financial pressure for a long while. Here are some recent news articles. Hope things work out, good luck OP.

Hahnemann University Hospital announces 175 layoffs. CEO describes shaky financial condition

“We are in a life or death situation here at Hahnemann,” said Joel Freedman, who is running Hahnemann and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.

www.philly.com

Hahnemann University Hospital sued by union funds over nearly $2 million in unpaid bills

Hahnemann's CEO warned last month that the hospital was running out of money.

www.philly.com

 

[rokshana]

If the hospital closes, then you have orphan status and programs can take you in over their allotted numbers to help...also your funds for training will follow you to your new place.
Overall, when st Vincents closed, most were able to find a place...some into better programs in NYC, others...but I believe all residents got a spot somewhere. The one that were shafted were those that had advanced positions and fellowship spots that had matched but had not actually started...not sure what happened to them (had a classmate that was a resident at st Vincents and ended up getting a spot at NYU).

It’s not the best of situations, but the programs will work hard to find you something

 

[demoticcurette]

If the hospital closes, then you have orphan status and programs can take you in over their allotted numbers to help...also your funds for training will follow you to your new place.
Overall, when st Vincents closed, most were able to find a place...some into better programs in NYC, others...but I believe all residents got a spot somewhere. The one that were shafted were those that had advanced positions and fellowship spots that had matched but had not actually started...not sure what happened to them (had a classmate that was a resident at st Vincents and ended up getting a spot at NYU).

It’s not the best of situations, but the programs will work hard to find you something

Yeah, several departments have had meetings where they went over just that. There was also a closure in Philadelphia a few years ago, Graduate Hospital I think, where trainees ended up getting spots in town.

I'm lucky, I can move anywhere in the country if it comes to it. I'm not from here, I came here knowing I wouldn't stay and have no reason to even be here except for the training spot. When Hahnemann closes I'll find another spot, maybe it will be in Philadelphia, maybe it won't, but I'll finish up somewhere.

A LOT of people can't say the same and when Hahnemann goes it will be the single biggest closure of a training program in history. I'm not happy with how things are but I'm not living with the level of terror that some of the other trainees who have kids on the way, spouses in other training programs etc are having.

 

[lulu09]

So sorry to hear this when I interviewed for IM in 2014 a few residents at the time already warned me that there were systemic problems with the admin of the hospital, and then for fellowship this past year I didn't even apply bc of the change in hospital leadership that happened 01/2018, largely rumored to fix the floundering admin of the hospital the time (Tenet).

Really sucks for the new residents and fellows that matched there for this upcoming cycle....

 

[iatrogena]

Hi, I'm an internal medicine resident at Hahnemann. It's important to point out a few of the assumptions here and set the record straight.

Facts:
-Hahnemann hospital is currently a privately owned hospital that has partnered with Drexel College of Medicine for the education of hundreds of residents.
-This privately owned company, American Academic Healthcare, is pursuing its best interest, which is profit margin.
-While it is always possible for a hospital to close, it is highly unlikely and probably the biggest lose-lose scenario for everyone involved

Why does it not make sense for the hospital to close?
1. Current company CEO loses money by not receiving any compensation for his costly endeavor of having bought a new hospital system one year ago, investing money into upgrades and changes, then reportedly losing millions a month.
2. The nature of Philadelphia's hospital system and patient population. Hahnemann hospital is instrumental in providing high-quality care to the underserved, uninsured, underinsured population, particularly in Northern Philadelphia. This region has already been stressed by the closing of a smaller hospital in the area. See: St. Joseph’s Hospital In North Philadelphia To Close In March 2016 . This is why there have been discussions with the city government regarding possible public funding to help Hahnemann stay afloat (as St. Joe's was publicly funded and Hahnemann now bears some of that patient load). The city and people have much at stake.
3. This is not the first time Hahnemann has been in financial distress. 1993 - Purchased by Allegheny. 1998 - bankruptcy declared, BUT NOT CLOSED. Purchased by Tenet. 2017 - Purchased by American ACademic Healthcare. Even in 1998 when the company went completely bankrupt, the hospital continued operations.
4. Talks are ongoing, currently, between interested parties to acquire Hahnemann. One of those companies, allegedly, is Tower Health, a company that has already partnered with Drexel College of Medicine on a 20-year contract at other Pennsylvania hospital sites. There are rumors that even the CEO would convert the hospital to a non-profit status to incentivize its sale, which would be a big win for the residents (present and future).

Is it possible for the hospital closes? Yes. Is it likely? Not at all. While I do not blame some of the people who are pessimistic about the situation given the tumultuous last few years, I think it is highly misleading to assume the hospital is "very likely to close".

 

[rokshana]

Hi, I'm an internal medicine resident at Hahnemann. It's important to point out a few of the assumptions here and set the record straight.

Facts:
-Hahnemann hospital is currently a privately owned hospital that has partnered with Drexel College of Medicine for the education of hundreds of residents.
-This privately owned company, American Academic Healthcare, is pursuing its best interest, which is profit margin.
-While it is always possible for a hospital to close, it is highly unlikely and probably the biggest lose-lose scenario for everyone involved

Why does it not make sense for the hospital to close?
1. Current company CEO loses money by not receiving any compensation for his costly endeavor of having bought a new hospital system one year ago, investing money into upgrades and changes, then reportedly losing millions a month.
2. The nature of Philadelphia's hospital system and patient population. Hahnemann hospital is instrumental in providing high-quality care to the underserved, uninsured, underinsured population, particularly in Northern Philadelphia. This region has already been stressed by the closing of a smaller hospital in the area. See: St. Joseph’s Hospital In North Philadelphia To Close In March 2016 . This is why there have been discussions with the city government regarding possible public funding to help Hahnemann stay afloat (as St. Joe's was publicly funded and Hahnemann now bears some of that patient load). The city and people have much at stake.
3. This is not the first time Hahnemann has been in financial distress. 1993 - Purchased by Allegheny. 1998 - bankruptcy declared, BUT NOT CLOSED. Purchased by Tenet. 2017 - Purchased by American ACademic Healthcare. Even in 1998 when the company went completely bankrupt, the hospital continued operations.
4. Talks are ongoing, currently, between interested parties to acquire Hahnemann. One of those companies, allegedly, is Tower Health, a company that has already partnered with Drexel College of Medicine on a 20-year contract at other Pennsylvania hospital sites. There are rumors that even the CEO would convert the hospital to a non-profit status to incentivize its sale, which would be a big win for the residents (present and future).

Is it possible for the hospital closes? Yes. Is it likely? Not at all. While I do not blame some of the people who are pessimistic about the situation given the tumultuous last few years, I think it is highly misleading to assume the hospital is "very likely to close".

Im sure the rank and file resident at st Vincent thought the same...after all it was over 100 yeArs old and was the only hospital in the east village...also providing quality care a largely underserved popoulation...which of course is part of the problem...the well insured of Philly go to Jeff and UPenn,leaving temple and Drexel, for the most part having to pick up the slack.
And I remember a Drexel med student transferring to EVMS in 1998, so while they eventually were able to survive,it was still of concern enough then for med students to have transferred out because the future was uncertain.

Better to be prepared for closure and nothing happen than the other way around...

 

[evilbooyaa]

Hahnemann University Hospital (or whatever they call it now) has been on the verge of bankruptcy and closure for over 2 decades now. It may happen, but it's not something new and out of the blue. It's buoyed by it's affilitation with Drexel, and Drexel has a significant interest in keeping the hospital upright and standing (for clinical rotations and students matching into HUH residency programs). However, Drexel has multiple clinical sites besides HUH throughout PA/NJ.

 

[demoticcurette]

Is it possible for the hospital closes? Yes. Is it likely? Not at all. While I do not blame some of the people who are pessimistic about the situation given the tumultuous last few years, I think it is highly misleading to assume the hospital is "very likely to close".

I appreciate your optimism but I think it's profoundly naive. Part of running a company is knowing when to cut your losses, and yes you're out 170 million plus the millions in operating costs. But the longer you wait to do that, the worse your losses are. With the current payer mix profitability is just flat out impossible, and over 20 years of recurrent financial crises only bear that out.

Yes, Hahnemann has been on the brink in the past. Ask anyone here who went through those times and you will get the same response - it was NEVER this bad before. I have reached out to programs outside of the city to let them know I might need some help in the near future. I know I am not the only one, and I guarantee you there are people in your department who have done so. You would be well advised to do the same. I would also make sure you check your bank account balance on Friday just in case...

 

[iatrogena]

I appreciate your optimism but I think it's profoundly naive. Part of running a company is knowing when to cut your losses, and yes you're out 170 million plus the millions in operating costs. But the longer you wait to do that, the worse your losses are. With the current payer mix profitability is just flat out impossible, and over 20 years of recurrent financial crises only bear that out.

Yes, Hahnemann has been on the brink in the past. Ask anyone here who went through those times and you will get the same response - it was NEVER this bad before. I have reached out to programs outside of the city to let them know I might need some help in the near future. I know I am not the only one, and I guarantee you there are people in your department who have done so. You would be well advised to do the same. I would also make sure you check your bank account balance on Friday just in case...

Hey, I think preparing for the worst is smart and appropriate. You never want to be blindsided when there is any chance of such a major change. Keep in mind that hospitals do not close overnight. So IF it was announced the hospital would be closing, there would still be time to make arrangements. If you were close to graduating, you would likely be able to finish that year as well. As was mentioned before, residents have matched to better programs in past scenarios. While we are all nervous and stressed, I do not appreciate your 'doom and gloom' attitude and it probably harms a lot of incoming interns and other young residents who have no information about the situation and are reading about it here.

 

[iatrogena]

Im sure the rank and file resident at st Vincent thought the same...after all it was over 100 yeArs old and was the only hospital in the east village...also providing quality care a largely underserved popoulation...which of course is part of the problem...the well insured of Philly go to Jeff and UPenn,leaving temple and Drexel, for the most part having to pick up the slack.
And I remember a Drexel med student transferring to EVMS in 1998, so while they eventually were able to survive,it was still of concern enough then for med students to have transferred out because the future was uncertain.

Better to be prepared for closure and nothing happen than the other way around...

True, St. Vincent's was royally screwed over. Somewhat similar situation happening at Beth Israel as well. Though New York City is a different beast in and of itself. I think not only should we be prepared but we are prepared for the worst. GME and Internal Medicine have contingency plans in place for the residents. My point is the odds of closure have been blown out of proportion.

 

[Apollyon]

Keep in mind that hospitals do not close overnight.

When my hospital closed in Hawai'i, we were told Friday afternoon that the ED was closing 8am Monday. So, non LITERALLY "overnight", but close enough. However, the transplant program had closed earlier, and the volume in the ED had decreased greatly (least I ever had was 1 patient in a 12 hour overnight shift). But, when the word came down, it was quick. Residents had not been rotating with us for more than 2 years, though.

 

[iatrogena]

So, update... We have been told by the administration that Drexel and a non-profit called Tower Health (the two of which have already partnered at another large hospital) have signed a letter of intent to try to take over Hahnemann. They are initiating the process now of assessing the hospital and the financial aspects. Obviously, nothing is set in stone and things can change quickly. Allegedly they hope to complete the process by the end of summer (if there are no major hiccups).

Iladelphia - there is not a reduction in beds, but a reduction in the census. Part of this is a natural ebb and flow that happens at all hospitals. The other part of this is patients literally walking in and telling us "uhh I thought Hahnemann was closed," which is easily reversed. The reason the staff was let go is due to the low census.

Apollyon - Many medical students and residents would have to be relocated in such a shutdown, so hopefully not a comparable situation.

 

[demoticcurette]

Hahnemann hospital is instrumental in providing high-quality care

Whoah there, don't go overboard. There's a reason that anyone who can go somewhere else goes somewhere else. Under no circumstances would I allow my friends or family to receive care at Hahnemann. It would be a rare emergency indeed where the risk of a few miles journey north south or west is greater than the danger of getting care at Hahnemann.

In addition supply shortages are getting worse. We ran out of IV contrast, and I heard rumors of no acute dialysis because of a lack of filters. Running out of stuff like valium, which given the patient population is a major problem. Broken equipment just isn't getting fixed. Every day, there's one less face you recognize because they've done what we the medical trainees cannot do - moved on to greener pastures.

A letter of intent is totally meaningless. I've heard the same rumors and nobody whose opinion I would value puts any stock in them yet. It's a definite maybe, but Drexel doesn't need Hahnemann, Tower Health doesn't need Hahnemann. Maybe when they actually make a public announcement, or our paychecks start coming from Drexel I'll believe it. Which would be nice, to have PSLF eligibility back I suppose.

Until then anyone who works here should operate on the assumption that the institution is going to shut down. This includes all incoming residents and interns. You really need to be working your social networks and have an escape plan in place .As of right now certain procedural specialties will not be able to make their numbers. If that doesn't it clear just how bad things are I don't know what will. There is irreparable harm being done to the institution, both interms of its reputation and in the damage done to it's human capital from terminations and departures.

The bottom line is this. If you are an incoming resident, DO NOT sign a one year lease until this is settled. Stay month to month. Talk to everyone that got you where you are and keep them posted as to what's going on. Your first notice might well be an overdrawn bank account because your direct deposit didn't go through - assuming Hahnemann is around long enough for you to start in July.

 

[demoticcurette]

Iladelphia - there is not a reduction in beds, but a reduction in the census. Part of this is a natural ebb and flow that happens at all hospitals. The other part of this is patients literally walking in and telling us "uhh I thought Hahnemann was closed," which is easily reversed. The reason the staff was let go is due to the low census.

This is also categorically untrue. We have several floors that are shut down and not staffed right now. I'm not sure what you would call it when you take beds, leave them empty, and fire the staff that used to take care of them but that to me is a reduction in beds. Sure, the physical space is there but the support staff, the nurses, techs, RTs, rad techs, patient transporters, cooks, cleaners and all of the people that make those hospital beds useful are gone.

For a place with both nuclear medicine and interventional radiology on top of the array of radiological diagnostics we have no radiation safety officers and haven't since around March. The ones that were employed were fired in January and replaced with independent contractors. Those independent contractors haven't shown up to do anything because their company hasn't been paid. This was before radiology flooded on the third floor and took out the cafeteria which just reopened after almost a week.

In addition the perfusion techs that are contracted through an agency to work for the hospital, well their company hasn't been paid. If they don't get paid they stop coming sometime in June. That means no ECMO, no CABG, no transplants, and without those capabilities Hahnemann as a hospital is greatly diminished and it could mean the loss our trauma rating.

 

[Bacchus]

FWIW, Tower Health manages one of the hospitals which serves my population. It is different than Hahnemann for one distinct reason... this system is the ‘upper echelon’ compared to the other surrounding hospitals. Even if acquired, I’d remain proactive not reactive. Our network, one of the best in my region has made some acquisitions which has shown now several years later to not be in our best interest. Tower Health may end up feeling the same and cut losses. Best of luck.

 

[captaincrunch]

It's really tragic to see what has become of Hahnemann. There is amazing history at Hahnemann, especially in cardiology and cardiac surgery. But the hospital has really been in decline ever since the Allegheny days. Drexel was never interested in running a hospital itself and Tenet didn't invest the money needed to truly restore the hospital To me, it seemed like it survived for a while based on its history, location and GME programs, but that its unravelling was inevitable. Patients who had resources had already moved to Jefferson or Penn.

@demoticcurette, are you able to tell us a little bit more about what it's like in the hospital these days? Do resident teams even have enough patients to see? Are any transplants happening? Are there any cardiology cases? Is the ER a ghost town?

And what about morale? Are residents eyeing the exits? Are they even recruiting for upcoming years? Are faculty fleeing?

It all reminds me of St. Vincent's (as other's have pointed out). At the time, everyone thought the hospital would be saved in some 11th hour deal, but in reality there was no way to save that hospital. Baring a miracle, I'm afraid that Hahnemann will face the same fate as MCP hospital before it.

 

[mflmn]

I'm not trying to necropost this, but last week our chief residents (Philadelphia local program) told us that the hospital closing is essentially a done deal, and that program leadership was already working to create a new schedule for them and we should all be prepared to welcome a fairly large complement of new arrivals.

 

[AdmiralChz]

Hahnemann Hospital is, for all intents and purposes, dead. I feel for the faculty and staff employed there, it sucks. The few people I know of there left months ago as the writing has been on the wall for some time. Residents will likely get “orphan” status and be fine - their funding will follow them to a new program which will get an extra slot for them - it’s basically a free extra body.

Drexel sues to block threatened closure of Hahnemann University Hospital

The lawsuit sharpens the fight over the future of Hahnemann and its parent, American Academic Health System, which laid off 175 in April in a bid to conserve cash.

www.google.com

It’s a high-profile closure for sure but the fact is Philadelphia has enough other institutions to provide the care needed. This may be the first in several barely-surviving institutions that close as healthcare dollars become more scarce.

 

[phillyphilly]

Have any other HUH residents heard any news from their respective programs especially in light of these new pieces?
For what it's worth, still no official word from our program directly.

 

[rokshana]

Hahnemann Hospital is, for all intents and purposes, dead. I feel for the faculty and staff employed there, it sucks. The few people I know of there left months ago as the writing has been on the wall for some time. Residents will likely get “orphan” status and be fine - their funding will follow them to a new program which will get an extra slot for them - it’s basically a free extra body.

Drexel sues to block threatened closure of Hahnemann University Hospital

The lawsuit sharpens the fight over the future of Hahnemann and its parent, American Academic Health System, which laid off 175 in April in a bid to conserve cash.

www.google.com

It’s a high-profile closure for sure but the fact is Philadelphia has enough other institutions to provide the care needed. This may be the first in several barely-surviving institutions that close as healthcare dollars become more scarce.

Hopefully they wait til after July 1st...that way those new interns and fellows have orphan status.

 

[captaincrunch]

According the article, Pennsylvania requires 90-day notice before closing a hospital, so anyone graduating this year is safe. Also, anyone starting this year would have orphan status and should be able to move to another program.

I agree that Philadelphia has enough hospitals to make up for the lost beds. Temple and Jefferson may see and uptick in volume, but they can absorb it. We can hope that the hospital survives in some form, but it looks very dire.

It's a sad day.

 

[engineeredout]

What has anyone currently at hahnehmann been told in the past few days?

 

[carbonizedeyesockets]

According the article, Pennsylvania requires 90-day notice before closing a hospital, so anyone graduating this year is safe. Also, anyone starting this year would have orphan status and should be able to move to another program.

I agree that Philadelphia has enough hospitals to make up for the lost beds. Temple and Jefferson may see and uptick in volume, but they can absorb it. We can hope that the hospital survives in some form, but it looks very dire.

It's a sad day.

Temple has barely absorbed the volume from St Joes closing. HUH see something like 65000 ED presentations. Temple getting a quarter of that would take things from bad to worse. I’m not sure if the situation at Jeff, but I imagine it would not easily be absorbed.

 

[IMGASMD]

Temple has barely absorbed the volume from St Joes closing. HUH see something like 65000 ED presentations. Temple getting a quarter of that would take things from bad to worse. I’m not sure if the situation at Jeff, but I imagine it would not easily be absorbed.

For residents, it should probably be okay. Maybe not for patients.

 

[AdmiralChz]

Temple has barely absorbed the volume from St Joes closing. HUH see something like 65000 ED presentations. Temple getting a quarter of that would take things from bad to worse. I’m not sure if the situation at Jeff, but I imagine it would not easily be absorbed.

One could easily imagine essentially a free-standing ER staying open but in a scaled-down fashion managed by one of the other hospital groups in town.

Since so many admissions today have required transfer given lack of specialty availability, it wouldn’t be all too different from what they have now.

 

[carbonizedeyesockets]

One could easily imagine essentially a free-standing ER staying open but in a scaled-down fashion managed by one of the other hospital groups in town.

Since so many admissions today have required transfer given lack of specialty availability, it wouldn’t be all too different from what they have now.

They may do freestanding for a short time as part of the closure process. But, that block is prime real estate. Good chance it will be sold, leveled, and some skyscraper put in its place.

 

[captaincrunch]

They may do freestanding for a short time as part of the closure process. But, that block is prime real estate. Good chance it will be sold, leveled, and some skyscraper put in its place.

Agreed. It's primo real estate, so I doubt anyone will operate a free standing ED there. When fancy condos are constructed maybe they can put up a plaque commemorating the former hospital

 

[captaincrunch]

Hahnemann University Hospital to close

Union leaders called on state and city officials to intervene and save Hahnemann. Barring that, the 496-bed hospital is slated to close by early September.

www.google.com

So, that's it.

 

[AdmiralChz]

Hahnemann University Hospital to close

Union leaders called on state and city officials to intervene and save Hahnemann. Barring that, the 496-bed hospital is slated to close by early September.

www.google.com

So, that's it.

There you go. Affected residents and fellows should contact the GME office there immediately if they haven’t already been told - some sort of a plan will need to be worked out with them.

Looks like it will close after July 1, which means new interns will likely qualify for orphan status. The GME office there will need to work through the necessary documentation with the ACGME. Previous cases of orphan residents I know of had much more warning than this, at least 6-12 months which allowed for effective transition to another program without a gap. I doubt this will be possible here given the impending closure, unless the GME office took the necessary steps months ago (unlikely given some posters comments on it).

Sorry to all affected, but one might land at a more competitive and stronger program out of this which is a plus.

 

[pedsguy2002]

Hi, I'm an internal medicine resident at Hahnemann. It's important to point out a few of the assumptions here and set the record straight.

Facts:
-Hahnemann hospital is currently a privately owned hospital that has partnered with Drexel College of Medicine for the education of hundreds of residents.
-This privately owned company, American Academic Healthcare, is pursuing its best interest, which is profit margin.
-While it is always possible for a hospital to close, it is highly unlikely and probably the biggest lose-lose scenario for everyone involved

Why does it not make sense for the hospital to close?
1. Current company CEO loses money by not receiving any compensation for his costly endeavor of having bought a new hospital system one year ago, investing money into upgrades and changes, then reportedly losing millions a month.
2. The nature of Philadelphia's hospital system and patient population. Hahnemann hospital is instrumental in providing high-quality care to the underserved, uninsured, underinsured population, particularly in Northern Philadelphia. This region has already been stressed by the closing of a smaller hospital in the area. See: St. Joseph’s Hospital In North Philadelphia To Close In March 2016 . This is why there have been discussions with the city government regarding possible public funding to help Hahnemann stay afloat (as St. Joe's was publicly funded and Hahnemann now bears some of that patient load). The city and people have much at stake.
3. This is not the first time Hahnemann has been in financial distress. 1993 - Purchased by Allegheny. 1998 - bankruptcy declared, BUT NOT CLOSED. Purchased by Tenet. 2017 - Purchased by American ACademic Healthcare. Even in 1998 when the company went completely bankrupt, the hospital continued operations.
4. Talks are ongoing, currently, between interested parties to acquire Hahnemann. One of those companies, allegedly, is Tower Health, a company that has already partnered with Drexel College of Medicine on a 20-year contract at other Pennsylvania hospital sites. There are rumors that even the CEO would convert the hospital to a non-profit status to incentivize its sale, which would be a big win for the residents (present and future).

Is it possible for the hospital closes? Yes. Is it likely? Not at all. While I do not blame some of the people who are pessimistic about the situation given the tumultuous last few years, I think it is highly misleading to assume the hospital is "very likely to close".

Ugh, I wish you were right. Looks like it will be closing.

 

[GonnaBeADoc2222]

I feel really bad for the residents and fellows. I doubt all the area hospitals will be able to absorb ALL of them. I would imagine some will have to uproot their lives / families to go to wherever their new site is.

The patients will be fine. There are a multitude of other local hospital at which they can get their free, unscheduled, non-emergent ER visits.

If you were an attending here hopefully you bailed from this sinking dumpster fire long ago.

 

[IMreshopeful]

Hi, I'm an internal medicine resident at Hahnemann. It's important to point out a few of the assumptions here and set the record straight.

Facts:
-Hahnemann hospital is currently a privately owned hospital that has partnered with Drexel College of Medicine for the education of hundreds of residents.
-This privately owned company, American Academic Healthcare, is pursuing its best interest, which is profit margin.
-While it is always possible for a hospital to close, it is highly unlikely and probably the biggest lose-lose scenario for everyone involved

Why does it not make sense for the hospital to close?
1. Current company CEO loses money by not receiving any compensation for his costly endeavor of having bought a new hospital system one year ago, investing money into upgrades and changes, then reportedly losing millions a month.
2. The nature of Philadelphia's hospital system and patient population. Hahnemann hospital is instrumental in providing high-quality care to the underserved, uninsured, underinsured population, particularly in Northern Philadelphia. This region has already been stressed by the closing of a smaller hospital in the area. See: St. Joseph’s Hospital In North Philadelphia To Close In March 2016 . This is why there have been discussions with the city government regarding possible public funding to help Hahnemann stay afloat (as St. Joe's was publicly funded and Hahnemann now bears some of that patient load). The city and people have much at stake.
3. This is not the first time Hahnemann has been in financial distress. 1993 - Purchased by Allegheny. 1998 - bankruptcy declared, BUT NOT CLOSED. Purchased by Tenet. 2017 - Purchased by American ACademic Healthcare. Even in 1998 when the company went completely bankrupt, the hospital continued operations.
4. Talks are ongoing, currently, between interested parties to acquire Hahnemann. One of those companies, allegedly, is Tower Health, a company that has already partnered with Drexel College of Medicine on a 20-year contract at other Pennsylvania hospital sites. There are rumors that even the CEO would convert the hospital to a non-profit status to incentivize its sale, which would be a big win for the residents (present and future).

Is it possible for the hospital closes? Yes. Is it likely? Not at all. While I do not blame some of the people who are pessimistic about the situation given the tumultuous last few years, I think it is highly misleading to assume the hospital is "very likely to close".

Guess this was wrong
Hope getting absorbed into another hospital system works out

 

[AdmiralChz]

I feel really bad for the residents and fellows. I doubt all the area hospitals will be able to absorb ALL of them. I would imagine some will have to uproot their lives / families to go to wherever their new site is.

The patients will be fine. There are a multitude of other local hospital at which they can get their free, unscheduled, non-emergent ER visits.

If you were an attending here hopefully you bailed from this sinking dumpster fire long ago.

A given program can probably only accept 1 or maybe 2 extra residents just from a logistics standpoint. Maybe more for large programs like IM? There certainly isn’t one or two institutions that could take the entire workforce.

Some may get very lucky and get accepted into programs at TJ or Penn which would be a major win, or get a little more unlucky and have to move somewhere around the east coast. Depends on how many residents are affected - but expect to have to move somewhat far because of the last minute nature of all of this.

 

[rokshana]

A given program can probably only accept 1 or maybe 2 extra residents just from a logistics standpoint. Maybe more for large programs like IM? There certainly isn’t one or two institutions that could take the entire workforce.

Some may get very lucky and get accepted into programs at TJ or Penn which would be a major win, or get a little more unlucky and have to move somewhere around the east coast. Depends on how many residents are affected - but expect to have to move somewhat far because of the last minute nature of all of this.

The good thing is that there are a lot of training programs in the Philadelphia area and many times have approval for more residents than they have money so can usually take on extra residents without a problem...and probably will welcome the help.

 

[CLAF211]

How do you think this will affect Match 2020?
Will Drexel match anyone at all this upcoming cycle?

 

[rokshana]

How do you think this will affect Match 2020?
Will Drexel match anyone at all this upcoming cycle?

Since those programs will no longer exist after sept, I would say that would be a no.

 

[rokshana]

Hahnemann University Hospital to close

Union leaders called on state and city officials to intervene and save Hahnemann. Barring that, the 496-bed hospital is slated to close by early September.

www.inquirer.com

Says last admissions would be mid July! Holy crap!

 

[ciestar]

How do you think this will affect Match 2020?
Will Drexel match anyone at all this upcoming cycle?

Other than lack of home programs, I see no reason why I won’t match somewhere next year.

 

[ciestar]

Hahnemann University Hospital to close

Union leaders called on state and city officials to intervene and save Hahnemann. Barring that, the 496-bed hospital is slated to close by early September.

www.inquirer.com

Says last admissions would be mid July! Holy crap!

Was told ED would be shut down in early August. But I’ve also heard as early as monday...

Being a student right now is hard. The uncertainty with rotations.

I feel really bad for all those faculty members, residents, and especially the new interns. What a way to begin your career..

 

[rokshana]

Was told ED would be shut down in early August. But I’ve also heard as early as monday...

Being a student right now is hard. The uncertainty with rotations.

I feel really bad for all those faculty members, residents, and especially the new interns. What a way to begin your career..

What year are you? You may want to see if you can transfer somewhere...remember a Hahnemann student transferring in the late 90s to Evms because of the uncertainty with the school.

 

[Lawpy]

Other than lack of home programs, I see no reason why I won’t match somewhere next year.

Wait so what are the options for clinical years there? Is it just doing rotations at different clinical sites? And if so, are those clinical sites close by?

 

[ciestar]

What year are you? You may want to see if you can transfer somewhere...remember a Hahnemann student transferring in the late 90s to Evms because of the uncertainty with the school.

4th. I had no rotations lined at at HUH anyway.

 

[rokshana]

Other than lack of home programs, I see no reason why I won’t match somewhere next year.

No I think the question. Is about whether the Drexel programs will participate in the match, not Drexel students matching at other places.

 

[ciestar]

Wait so what are the options for clinical years there? Is it just doing rotations at different clinical sites? And if so, are those clinical sites close by?

It always was like this, actually. Not everyone got to rotate at HUH or other “philly sites”. They have a lot of affiliate sites. Some are closer; Abington, Crozer-Chester, Virtua, Mercy Philly, Mercy Fitz, St Christophers Hospital for Children, Friends Hospital. One is in Pittsburgh (people from there tend to want to go there). Then there are a slew of others like York, Reading, Easton, Pinnacle, Chambersburg, and Kaiser-Sacramento (they take 20 students a year, that’s all).

 

[ciestar]

No I think the question. Is about whether the Drexel programs will participate in the match, not Drexel students matching at other places.

Oh, I see. Can confirm they’re not.

 

[notatall]

Are any psych residents effected?

 

[IMreshopeful]

Are any psych residents effected?

Every single resident there is affected. All 500 or so

 

[rokshana]

It always was like this, actually. Not everyone got to rotate at HUH or other “philly sites”. They have a lot of affiliate sites. Some are closer; Abington, Crozer-Chester, Virtua, Mercy Philly, Mercy Fitz, St Christophers Hospital for Children, Friends Hospital. One is in Pittsburgh (people from there tend to want to go there). Then there are a slew of others like York, Reading, Easton, Pinnacle, Chambersburg, and Kaiser-Sacramento (they take 20 students a year, that’s all).

So how many rotated at HUH?