April 25, 1998|By M. William Salganik | M. William Salganik,SUN STAFF
After an operating loss of more than $2 million in the first half of the fiscal year, Sinai Hospital will close its child and adolescent psychiatry clinic and a downtown satellite of its rehabilitation program, hospital officials said yesterday.
The child psychiatry clinic serves 200 to 250 people on an outpatient basis, and will continue to operate for several months until all patients are placed in other programs, said Dr. Sam Adler, acting chief of psychiatry. He said six employees would be affected by the cutback, but the hospital was hoping to place all of them in other jobs.
The hospital will continue all adult psychiatric services, including inpatient care and substance abuse treatment. It also will retain one child psychiatrist and provide some services, including an "urgent care team," Adler said.
The satellite rehabilitation program, providing occupational therapy and other services to brain-injured patients at a downtown church, serves about half a dozen patients, said Barbara Epke, vice president for quality management. She said it would close May 1, when the current class is completed, but that patients needing further service could receive it at the hospital in Northwest Baltimore, which has a large rehabilitation program.
She said the satellite program involved "a couple" jobs, and that the hospital is trying to place those employees elsewhere.
Sinai has about 3,000 employees, according to Chuck Orlando, vice president for finance.
Orlando said the hospital was under financial pressures from an increase in care for the uninsured, smaller rate increases granted by state regulators and more claim denials by insurers.
After an operating loss of $2.4 million in the six months ended Dec. 31, Orlando said there was a "relatively minor loss" in the quarter ended March 31, "and our hope is to break even for the year."
Epke said Sinai was looking for other savings by leaving some vacant positions unfilled.
Pub Date: 4/25/98
