MCMH ending home health

The Montgomery County Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees voted at its meeting last Wednesday to close the Heartland Home Health department.

The estimated timeline to close the operation is over the next 60 to 90 days, according to a press release from the hospital. Over that time period, MCMH will complete the necessary steps to decertify the home health agency.

The release said Heartland Hospice will not be affected by the closing of the home health department.

According to the release, “Over time, there has been more and more home health agencies operating in Montgomery County. Little-by-little, patient volume has dropped to an unsustainable level. It is felt that this situation will only get worse with each additional year, with no reason to think the department will turn around. Because there are currently five other home health agencies operating in Montgomery County, the decision was made to close the home health agency.”

With the closing, Heartland Home Health providers will refer their patients to one of the other five agencies operating in Montgomery County. It is not accepting new patients.

The release said the eight employees working in the MCMH Heartland Home Health department remain employed by MCMH and that no one will lose a job due to the change. Besides working with Heartland Hospice, they will also work as case managers and support employees for the new Population Health program.