The emergency department (ED) at PeaceHealth University District Hospital in Eugene, Oregon, is set to shut down on 1 December 2023.

This decision comes as part of PeaceHealth's plan to close the underutilised University District hospital, which was initiated in August.

After the closure, individuals in the Eugene-Springfield area requiring emergency medical care can visit other nearby facilities, including PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, and PeaceHealth Cottage Grove Community Medical Center.

PeaceHealth Oregon network interim CEO and chief medical officer Dr James McGovern said: “We’re grateful for the many productive conversations over the past few months, both internally and within the community.

“We are proud to maintain inpatient behavioural health and inpatient rehabilitation services without interruption and offer extended-hours urgent care services in a more centralised Eugene location.” 

Most of the University District hospital caregivers have transitioned to other PeaceHealth locations, which is expected to improve staffing at RiverBend and Cottage Grove Community Medical Center.

Additionally, PeaceHealth plans to renovate and improve processes at the RiverBend emergency department to reduce wait times and enhance the patient experience.

Dr McGovern added: “We’re also heartened by the progress being made with numerous state and local partners on care options for members of our community who frequently come to the University District emergency department with social, rather than medical, needs.”

PeaceHealth, a not-for-profit Catholic health system based in Vancouver, Washington, has been providing care in Lane County for nearly 100 years.

It has around 16,000 caregivers, a medical group with over 1,100 providers, and ten medical centres in urban and rural areas across the Northwest.