Galesburg Cottage Hospital temporarily closes and fires more staff

GALESBURG, Ill. (KWQC) - Galesburg Cottage Hospital has temporarily shut down and has fired several employees on Saturday, per hospital CEO Sanjay Sharma. Employees say they were notified of their termination through an email from Sharma. The hospital has not responded to TV6′s requests for comment.

“While we disagree with the findings and decision, the recent notice from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has made it necessary to temporarily suspend all services at Galesburg cottage Hospital effective immediately,” wrote Sharma in an email to employees.

OSF Healthcare President Lisa DeKezel says “we are deeply concerned about the patients, families and health care professionals impacted by the temporary closure of Cottage Hospital. OSF HealthCare St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg and OSF Holy Family Medical Center in Monmouth have been receiving an influx of patients at both hospitals and we are working diligently to meet the needs of the community.”

Galesburg Mayor Peter Schwartzman was unaware of the situation as of 6 p.m. Saturday but says the city is keeping an eye on the situation as it progresses. “The hospital is an asset but it’s obviously under duress. it’s a privately owned business... we’re seeing how this plays out.”

This comes after Galesburg Cottage Hospital filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday after they were given a termination notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services resulting from multiple health and safety violations.

This is a developing story, check back for more updates.

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