BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - Maine could have one less hospital if proposed plans are approved this Thursday.
Under the plan, St. Andrews in Boothbay Harbor would become an urgent care facility. It would no long have an emergency room, an operating room or nursing beds.
Hospital officials say the changes are needed to ensure the facilities survival.
"St Andrews has sustained operating losses 9 out of the last 11-years and at the end of this year it will be 10 out of the last 12 years. The financial model is just not working because the patient volume isn't there", said Jim Donovan of Lincoln County Healthcare.
Community leaders are upset that they've been kept in the dark about the plans. They're expected to be briefed tonight, but the information has already leaked out into the community.
"It is a little bit scary for a community to try to absorb that as quickly as we have to in order to face the impacts that we're going to face", Said Boothbay Town Manager James Chaousis.
The board of trustees for Lincoln County Healthcare has already approved the changes. The CEO expects the board of it's parent organization, Maine Health, will do the same when it meets on Thursday.
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