Catholic Health announces reconfiguration plan at Mount St. Mary's Hospital

Press Release

As health care continues its shift from inpatient to outpatient care, and providers everywhere face ongoing staffing and reimbursement challenges, Catholic Health is focusing on the future by developing “Centers of Excellence” within its hospital network and creating a “Neighborhood Hospital” model to serve residents throughout Niagara County.

By concentrating specialized services in facilities equipped with the most advanced technology, the health system is developing a more transformative care delivery model to provide the highest quality care and service to patients across the Buffalo-Niagara region and enable them to receive the majority of their health care within their own community.

“The strength of our system, in terms of quality, safety, and patient satisfaction, is helping us respond to the seismic changes happening in health care as a result of the pandemic and other industry pressures,” said Mark Sullivan, president and CEO of Catholic Health. “By proactively responding to these changes and adapting our footprint in Erie and Niagara counties, we can maintain the specialized services our community needs in a more responsible way, and ensure access to care for the long term.”

As this important work continues throughout Catholic Health, the system is announcing a reconfiguration plan that will take place at Mount St. Mary’s Hospital over the next few weeks.

Plans call for creating a “Neighborhood Hospital” similar to what is being built at the new Lockport Memorial Hospital. The reconfiguration will reduce the Lewiston hospital’s inpatient bed need; transition surgery, maternity, dialysis and GI services to other Catholic Health hospitals; and discontinue imaging services at its Porter Road site in Niagara Falls.

“Mount St. Mary’s is the highest-rated hospital in Niagara County for quality, and Catholic Health leads the region in patient safety. While this reconfiguration is necessary to continue our mission, our commitment to the people of Niagara County will never change,” Sullivan added. “Much discernment and planning has gone into this process to ensure patients will have needed medical and emergency services in their own community with improved access to higher levels of quality care at ‘Centers of Excellence’ throughout Catholic Health.”

As these changes are underway, the hospital will be adding ambulatory surgery services, inpatient medical beds, emergency care, imaging and laboratory services, and primary and specialty care physician practices in eastern Niagara County with the opening of the new Lockport Memorial Hospital in September and the acquisition of Eastern Niagara Hospital’s Ambulatory Surgery Center on South Transit Road this month.

Along with inpatient medical services, Mount St. Mary’s will maintain its full-service emergency department, 69-bed Clearview substance use treatment center, and wound care center. The hospital will also maintain its broad network of community-based health centers comprised of primary and specialty care clinics, including OB-GYN, cardiology, and neurology services; and outpatient diagnostic and rehabilitation care, including cardiac rehab. As the region’s only Joint Commission Certified Primary Stroke Center equipped with advanced telemedicine technology, Mount St. Mary’s will continue to work with area EMS providers to deliver the highest quality stroke care across Niagara County.

“In addition to inpatient medical care and strong emergency services, our goal is to ensure residents throughout Niagara County continue to have access to primary care physicians and medical specialists right in their own community on both sides of the county,” said CJ Urlaub, Mount St. Mary’s Hospital president and Catholic Health senior vice president for strategic partnerships, integration & care delivery in Niagara County. “For higher levels of care, patients will have improved access to Catholic Health’s comprehensive network of services at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, Sisters of Charity Hospital, and Kenmore Mercy Hospital, along with our expanded ambulatory surgery network.”

Over the coming months, Catholic Health will continue to develop “Centers of Excellence” in stroke, cardiovascular, orthopedic, spine, and women’s services.

“Leading the transformation of health care in our community means taking bold steps now to position our system for the future,” Sullivan said. “Investing in modern facilities, equipped with the latest clinical and information technology, will enable our skilled medical team to continue providing the most advanced care available anywhere in Western New York.”

Urlaub added, “While the decision to close services is never easy, our top priority is to ensure our patients continue to receive the highest-quality care, and any impacted associates are provided with other opportunities within our system. Maternity and surgical patients will be receiving information in the coming days to transition their care to other Catholic Health facilities after June 30.

“Staff affected by the changes at Mount St. Mary’s will be offered other positions at the hospital, the new Lockport Memorial Hospital, or within Catholic Health. The hospital is working with its union partners to facilitate these transitions and thanks them for their continued support.”