The hospital had planned to close at the end of the year Saturday and will now do so.
"Franciscan Alliance is grateful for the Court of Appeals order. As such, Franciscan will proceed with ceasing operations and closing the emergency department as of Dec. 31, 2022. As most ambulances have already stopped bringing patients to Franciscan Health Hammond, we do not expect that closing the Emergency Department will cause disruption in emergency medical care for residents.
The City of Hammond filed a lawsuit, pointing out that the hospital had said last year that it planned to downsize – but keep its emergency department open. The hospital at the time also said it planned to maintain a limited number of hospital beds for short stays, as well as imaging and lab services wound care, dialysis, prenatal care, and primary care.
But 18 months later – with no communication in the intervening period – the hospital said it was closing its emergency department after all, court documents said. The mayor called this an"absolute betrayal," and said it would damage health care coverage in Northwest Indiana and nearby parts of Illinois.
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