Impact of the Closure of a Large, Urban Safety-Net Hospital on a Neighboring Academic Center: A Philadelphia Case Study.

OBJECTIVES: We examined how the closure of 496-bed Hahnemann University Hospital (HUH), a level I trauma and stroke center and safety-net hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, impacted the emergency department (ED) and radiology workflow in our neighboring hospital (Thomas Jefferson University Hospital) located <1 mile away.

METHODS: On June 30, 2019, HUH announced its imminent closure and began diverting trauma patients, with its ED officially closing in mid-August. Trends of our ED and radiology workflow were analyzed using Qlik analytics software for 3 months before and after the closure. Data were compared to workflow from the same time period in 2018.

RESULTS: The average monthly number of patients presenting to our ED after the closure increased 20.2% with a corresponding 16% increase in ED imaging studies, primarily in radiographs (+16%) and CT (+20%). Radiology orders by advanced practice providers increased 74%. Turnaround time from imaging order placed to final diagnostic radiology report did not change substantially after the closure.

CONCLUSION: Workflow in our ED and radiology department was significantly impacted by the closure of HUH. This study provides insight into how our practice patterns changed and compensated after the closure of a neighboring, large, urban safety-net hospital; it is important for radiologists to be aware of citywide practice patterns to adapt to acute change.