July 1: Tilden Hospital No Longer Accepting Emergencies

IMPORTANT REMINDER:
Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on July 1, the emergency department of Tilden Community Hospital will no longer be available.

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY: Please call 911 or drive to another hospital in the area.

If you have an emergency, please remember to take a list of your current medications with you. The other hospitals in the area will not have access to your previous hospital records.

The Tilden City Council unanimously voted to cease inpatient services as of July 1 and transition to an outpatient-only care center, as recommended by the hospital administrator, according to City Clerk Silver Sibert.

According to hospital administrator Lon Knievel, he recommended 
to the board of directors to enter into negotiations with Faith Regional Health Services (FRHS) to lease the clinic and 1970s wing and to assume the operation of the clinic, lab, X-ray, therapy, and any other specialty clinics and utilizing current staff. 

"I know this is not what anyone wants to hear, and it is not the course of action that anyone wants to take; unfortunately, we are being guided by circumstances that are out of our control," Knievel said. "The hospital board of directors, administration and staff are doing their very best to make a smooth and uncomplicated transition from what we currently are, to what we will become. Please know that we have the best interest of the community and the hospital staff in mind."

For the past year, inpatient volumes have been low enough that, even with cost-based reimbursement, the hospital has run an operational shortfall of $30,000 to 60,000 per month, according to Knievel.

"Being a city-owned facility, I do not feel that running into debt is an option, especially with the current level of patient volumes and the healthcare environment becoming more stringent," Knievel said. "Before our cash becomes totally depleted, I want to see us make rational decisions for the future of healthcare within the community, and also be able to provide some semblance of support and adequate notification to the employees that will be affected by this decision."

No recommendation is being made at this time for emergency care, Knievel said.

"One of the many unfortunate results of this action is that we will no longer be able to provide emergency room care. In effect, we will no longer be a hospital," Knievel said. "I have briefly met with the Northeast Region EMS Coordinator for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and explained our forthcoming situation. The dilemma of Emergency Medical Services is one issue that we will be looking to find a solution for in the coming months."

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