Kaleida Health officials have denied a rumor that Bradford Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Department would be the next service shuttered at the facility.
Joseph Fuglewicz, Kaleida Health’s director of marketing for the Twin Tiers, said, “We would like to address recent community concerns that have been posed about the potential closure of our emergency department and further reduction of services at Bradford Regional Medical Center. There are no plans to close our emergency department at BRMC. Our hospital is committed to providing the best possible care to Bradford and surrounding areas.”
Fuglewicz noted that “BRMC continues to offer a wide range of essential outpatient services, including emergency services, cancer care and oncology, imaging and radiology, infusion, physical therapy, occupational therapy, cardiac and pulmonary rehab, laboratory services, outpatient respiratory services and wound care to name a few.”
The statement continued to note that BRMC also offers short-term and long-term nursing care at The Pavilion as well as houses the only sleep center in the region.
“Additionally, we are proud to have over a dozen primary care and specialty providers located in our outpatient services tower, a facility made possible by the generosity of our community. As we indicated in other statements, we’re looking for the right opportunities for growth which include recruitment of more specialty providers such as cardiology, urology, OB/GYN, pediatrics and vascular providers as well as expand access to primary care.
“Our team is committed to providing vital healthcare services in Bradford, so please continue to support us and utilize the services we offer.”
Legally, the Pennsylvania Department of Health must be notified 60 days in advance of any closure of emergency or non-emergency services. Representatives stated Wednesday they had received no notification regarding the BRMC emergency department.
On Dec. 15, Kaleida shut down all psychiatric services, including the inpatient psychiatric and dual diagnosis units, at BRMC. At the time, Kaleida released a statement that indicated the emergency department would take on the provision of behavioral health services in the community.
“Our BRMC emergency department will continue to support the behavioral health needs of the community through partnerships with local agencies as well as transferring patients to local facilities that require a higher level of care, which includes Olean General hospital,” the statement read.
Kaleida Health has been closing and consolidating services since taking over BRMC and OGH, an affiliation which began in 2017.
In 2019, Kaleida shut down BRMC’s maternity unit, indicating that services have been moved across the New York state line to Olean General. The hospital had gone from 107 beds to just 10. Then in 2021, BRMC lost its intensive care unit.
The abrupt closure of psychiatric services in late 2024 was a surprise to many, including Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint.
“The decision to reduce services is being made by corporate executives at Kaleida Health in Buffalo, N.Y. These executives don’t know anything about our community, have never taken the time or effort to learn about the healthcare needs of our region and have demonstrated repeatedly their failure to even communicate with community leaders regarding the needs of those they serve in rural Pennsylvania.”
Causer stated he has asked the Pennsylvania secretary of health and the state attorney general for a formal investigation of the matter, which is ongoing.
