Byline: M. Paul Jackson
Jan. 17--WILKES-BARRE, Pa.--The Wyoming Valley Health Care System will close two behavioral health facilities and move services into Nesbitt Memorial Hospital, system officials said Wednesday.
Jobs will not be lost.
The system will move First Hospital Wyoming Valley and Choices, its substance abuse recovery program, to Nesbitt on July 1, said system President Dr. William Host.
First Hospital 'is not sustainable in the long haul as an acute-care hospital,' he said. 'Running two separate facilities is extremely inefficient.'
The hospital, located at 149 Dana St., has 96 beds and serves inpatient psychiatric patients. Choices, a 28-bed clinic at 518 Wyoming Ave., offers drug and rehabilitation treatment.
The two programs are part of Behavioral Health Services of Wyoming Valley, an affiliate of the health-care system. Behavioral Health Services also includes Advanced Psychological and Counseling Services and the system's community counseling service.
The plans also include:
Relocation of administrative employees from an office at 703 Rutter Ave. into the Choices facility. The Rutter Avenue building will be sold, Host said.
The potential sale of about eight buildings around First Hospital. The buildings are used as offices for about seven psychiatric doctors, said Joseph Knecht, chief executive officer of Behavioral Health Services. Those doctors will move to Nesbitt.
Maintenance of the current Community Counseling Services site. The system does not plan to relocate the counseling center on South Pennsylvania Avenue.
'The relocation of these services is consistent with our health system's long-range strategy and is truly in the best interests of patients, families and the community,' Host said.
Officials estimate the relocation will cost $3 million. 'There are costs associated with renovations and relocations,' said system spokesman Jim Schilling.
About 200 jobs will be transferred, Knecht said.
'I don't see any potential for gain in the efficiencies that would jeopardize anybody's job,' Host said.
The relocation leaves First Hospital vacant. The system has not yet finalized plans for it.
As a nonprofit organization, the health-care system does not pay property taxes. Selling the Rutter Avenue facility to a for-profit company could bring more tax revenue to Kingston, its mayor said.
'While Kingston would certainly prefer to see a general hospital located on the Nesbitt site, I'm pleased that the Nesbitt property will once again be put to productive use,' Mayor James Haggerty said.
The system relocated Nesbitt's obstetrics department to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital last year.
Plans to reorganize the health system's behavioral services unit have been discussed for some time.
The health system contemplated selling four satellite offices -- including First Hospital, Choices and its administrative building on Rutter Avenue -- during failed merger talks with Mercy Health Partners in 2000.
First Hospital was created in 1983, and the Choices facility was established in 1987, Knecht said.
The move puts the two services 'in an excellent location and in a very good building,' he said. 'It puts us in a really good position for the future.'
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(c) 2002, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
