Oswego Community Hospital

Oswego Community Hospital
HMC/CAH
Geography
Location	Oswego, Kansas, United States
Coordinates	37°09′33″N 95°06′40″W
Organization
Care system	Private
Type	Critical access
Services
Emergency department	24 hr. ER, ExpressCare
Beds	12
Links
Website	http://oswegocommunityhospital.com
Lists	Hospitals in Kansas

Oswego Community Hospital (OCH) was a federally and state-designated 12 bed critical access hospital located in Oswego, Kansas.

On February 13, 2020, Oswego Community Hospital abruptly closed its doors, "citing [a] failure to expand Medicaid" and "low patient volumes." Later in 2019, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced his office had executed a search warrant as part of a broader investigation of the hospital's operator, EmpowerHMS. In June 2020, federal indictments were unsealed, revealing that several persons associated with EmpowerHMS were indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for their alleged role in a $1.4 billion fraudulent billing scheme.

In April 2020, the hospital's assets, including the former hospital site, a former clinic location, and other real estate, were purchased out of bankruptcy by Oswego NeuroPsych Hospital, Inc. On April 15, 2020, local newspaper Labette Avenue reported that Oswego NeuroPsych Hospital, Inc., intended to reopen the former hospital in Oswego.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Oswego NeuroPsych Hospital, Inc., lent personal protective equipment, including portable ventilators and other equipment, to the Kansas Department of Emergency Management.

History

In 2007 Oswego Medical Center was purchased by HMC/CAH Consolidated, Inc. and the name changed to Oswego Community Hospital. The facility had in recent years been previously sponsored by and affiliated with Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center of Pittsburg, Kansas with help from St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Missouri.

Current Services

OCH offers a variety of services, including General Medical care, Senior Mental Health programs, a 24-hour Emergency Department, ExpressCare, a daytime walk-in clinic, a wound care program, various radiology, sexual assault and abuse help, laboratory, observation, physical therapy, dietary services, respiratory care, Swing Bed, a pharmacy, pastoral care, and out-patient services. A portable CT Scanner and MRI truck is also available on-call.

OCH has contracted air-lift services with EagleMed to provide emergency air transport to more qualified hospitals.

Future Expansion

OCH's parent company, HMC/CAH announced in the late 2000s (decade) their desire to construct a new facility to hold a much improved and enlarged hospital. Shortly after groundbreaking and the start of construction, a severe economic downturn resulting from the financial crisis of 2007–2008 caused construction to be halted. HMC/CAH has assured community leaders work will begin again in October 2009, although this date is the latest in a series of push-backs and work has yet to begin. In an early January 2011 edition of the Labette Avenue, OCH CEO Daniel Hiben asked community leaders and residents to send letters to HMC/CAH asking that the parent company resume work on the new hospital facility.

In November 2009, OCH announced a sponsorship agreement with Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center in Pittsburg, Kansas to provide more services to Oswego and the surrounding area. A sponsorship agreement was signed with Labette County-owned, privately funded Labette Health of Parsons, Kansas in December 2010, bringing the only two hospitals in Labette County together with a cooperative agreement.