The city of St. Louis has lost an important facility in the quest for access to equitable health care services, especially for uninsured and low-income patients.
“Our city must grapple with losing this longstanding healthcare anchor.” – Mayor Tishaura Jones
On Thursday August 3, the owner of South City Hospital announced it would soon be closing its doors. The shutdown began on Friday and its signage has already been removed.
“South City Hospital was a healthcare safety net, supporting many uninsured St. Louisans, and our city must grapple with losing this longstanding healthcare anchor,” Mayor Tishaura Jones said in a release.
Jones said she has met with representatives of regional hospital systems, city Health Director Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, and her staff to address the closure.
Patients hospitalized at South City Hospital have been routed to those hospitals and will continue to receive excellent care.
The hospital, which was formerly called St. Alexius, is located on S. Broadway in Dutchtown. It has dealt with financial challenges under several ownership groups in recent years. The hospital had served the St. Louis community for over 150 years.
Dr. Bart Andrews, Behavioral Health Response chief clinical officer, told KSDK.com “I’m sad to see it go.”
“It became an expert in geriatric psychiatry, so serving an older population. There aren’t a lot of hospital options in that part of St. Louis City. That’s going to be a blow. They built a safety net niche in that region,” Dr. Andrews said.
Along with losing a city health facility, scores of people now find themselves unemployed.
Following the sudden closure to South City Hospital, the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) held a healthcare job fair August 11 to assist in finding new career opportunities for former hospital workers.
“When South City Hospital closed, our city didn’t just lose a healthcare option; hundreds of employees lost their jobs, hurting working families across St. Louis,” said SLATE Executive Director Fredrecka McGlown.
“Our hearts go out to those who worked hard to care for South City Hospital patients, and SLATE, in partnership with the Department of Health, is ready to help connect healthcare workers to new opportunities.”
Employers in attendance included Care STL; People’s Healthcare Centers; Washington University; BJC; Mercy Medical Centers; Affinia Healthcare; SSM; Family Care Health Centers; Bethesda, V.A. Hospital; the City of St. Louis; and At Home Care.
While the event is welcoming former South City Hospital employees, all jobseekers interested in entering the healthcare industry were invited to participate.
In 2021, the job vacancy rate in Missouri hospitals was over 20%, Dave Dillon, a spokesperson for the Missouri Hospital Association recently told the Missouri Independent.
Interested participants were asked to complete their profile at https://jobs.mo.gov before the event and call SLATE at (314) 589-8000 with any questions.
Additionally, SLATE offers job search workshops, assessments, and training opportunities to those looking for a new job or career. The SLATE Missouri Job Center is at 1520 Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3050, and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, except Wednesdays when the office opens at 9 a.m.
“To the employees affected, my heart goes out to you as this is painful and unexpected news. I also thank you for your tireless efforts to care for the patients of South City Hospital,” Jones said.
“This is a tremendous loss for our community, and we will continue working together with local healthcare providers to deliver resources to those most impacted.”
For more information about SLATE’s services for unemployed St. Louisans, please visit us at www.stlworks.com or via Facebook or Twitter/X at @slatemcc.