ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis area hospital furloughed its employees because of a blood shortage, according to a letter from its board of directors.
Homer G. Phillips Memorial Hospital announced the shutdown Tuesday afternoon. The hospital said the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) approved a temporary suspension of operations until the hospital could find a "reliable and continuous source of blood."
"During this temporary closure, the majority of hospital staff will be furloughed from employment until further notice," the statement said. "The Hospital Board will also collaborate with its lending partners to secure additional funding aimed at expanding operations and meeting financial obligations."
A note on the hospital's main entrance on Tuesday advised anyone in need of emergency care to call 911 and proceed to the nearest emergency room. Anyone wishing to obtain their medical records should call (314) 664-9100.
DHSS confirmed the hospital's lack of a reliable blood supply in an email to 5 On Your Side. The hospital was granted the temporary license suspension it requested so hospital personnel could have time to secure a stable supply.
"Once they have resolved that issue, which was the most immediate and serious, our team will ensure that they have met all health and safety minimums prior to lifting that temporary suspension," the department said in an emailed statement. "Our goal is to get the hospital up and running as soon as the health and safety minimums have been met."
Multiple emails sent to 5 On Your Side over the past week suggest the hospital has also recently had issues regarding employee payroll and benefits.
In a Dec. 12 email to employees obtained by 5 On Your Side, Mark Vincent, the hospital's chief financial officer, acknowledged the issue and said hospital leaders believed it would be resolved this week.
"We encountered some unforeseen difficulty with the transfer of payroll funds from our investors to our bank as is normally done and expected," Vincent's email said. "We are all terribly sorry for this delay and I can personally assure you that we are all doing everything in our power to resolve this situation."
Alderman Rasheen Aldridge, who represents Ward 14 where the hospital is located, said he spoke to several nurses who said they still hadn't received their checks.
“It’s very disappointing to hear that the hospital had to temporarily close," Aldridge said. "I don’t believe it’s due to a blood shortage, but has everything to do with the fact that several employees, including three nurses, have not received their paychecks.”
The hospital opened in January and is named after a prominent St. Louis lawyer and equal rights advocate who was killed by gunfire in 1931. At the time of opening, it included:
- A 15-bed Emergency Department
- A two-bed-Triage area and three-bed inpatient area
- Full-time emergency trained physicians on duty 24/7
- A social services department
- Laboratory services
- Complete Electronic Health Record (EHR)
- A full-service imaging department, including MRI, CT, X-RAY and ultrasound
Read the full initial announcement from the hospital here:
