蜜芽传媒

ST. LOUIS 鈥� St. Luke's is closing its hospital in Des Peres and ending services there effective Aug. 1, the nonprofit health care provider announced Monday.

A statement from the health care provider, which operates a larger hospital in Chesterfield, said the decision followed "a comprehensive evaluation of occupancy trends, the evolving healthcare landscape, and St. Luke鈥檚 long-term strategic priorities."

St. Luke's said despite its team's hard work, the 143-bed hospital faced "persistently low utilization and increasing financial pressures, making continued operation no longer viable."

St. Luke's said it was working with providers to ensure a "smooth transition" for patients, and added that medical group practices located in Des Peres medical office buildings would continue.

St. Luke's said its larger 493-bed Chesterfield hospital would continue operation and that its 30-plus outpatient centers would still provide care.

"We are deeply grateful to the dedicated caregivers at Des Peres Hospital and to the community for their continued trust and support," a statement from the hospital said.

"St. Luke鈥檚 remains committed to serving the health care needs of the 蜜芽传媒 area with compassion and excellence," it said.

St. Luke's didn't say how many jobs will be lost due to the closure of the hospital, located at 2345 Dougherty Ferry Road, near the intersection with Interstate 270.

Kelly Webb-Little, spokesperson for St. Luke's, said the provider is committed to supporting employees during the transition.

Those efforts include offering alternative positions within St. Luke's to as many workers as possible and "providing fair severance packages, career transition services and job placement assistance for those whom we are unable to place internally," she said.

Timothy McBride, a health economist at Washington University, said it is unusual for a hospital to close in an affluent area such as Des Peres. He said most hospital closures nationwide in recent years have occurred in rural areas.聽

But McBride said it's more difficult for smaller hospitals to deal with costs "because you have to spread the fixed costs over a smaller number of beds."

"I would guess that that's part of the challenge they're facing," McBride said. "It's the same challenge that small hospitals in rural areas are facing."

Monday's announcement came seven years after St. Luke's acquired the Des Peres hospital from Dallas-based Tenet Hospital Corp. The hospital in Des Peres opened in 1974.

Scott Schaefer, city administrator for Des Peres, said Monday the city became aware of the closure Monday morning, calling it a blow and "disappointing to hear."

But Schaefer said St. Luke's closure may not be the end of the road for the health care campus.

"It's very possible that we may see this campus purchased by another health-care operator, as it has a number of times over the years," Schaefer said.

The hospital currently provides emergency and intensive care, among other services.

"We really value having a hospital within our city limits," Schaefer said. Des Peres is a municipality of about 9,000 people in west 蜜芽传媒 County.

Other nearby hospitals include Mercy Hospital 蜜芽传媒 (615 S. New Ballas Road) and Missouri Baptist Hospital (3009 N. Ballas Road).

"The good news about Des Peres is it's very central and there's a number of really high-quality hospitals within our reach," Schaefer said.