Temple managers have told hospital staff that Temple intends to virtually close Northeastern Hospital, eliminating maternity and other services, possibly leaving intact only an “urgi-care” center and certain outpatient facilities. The closing of the busy maternity service, the 14th maternity department to be shuttered in the Philadelphia area since 1997, will mean the elimination of all maternity services east of the hospitals on Broad Street from Center City Philadelphia to the Bucks County line and beyond. Letty D. Thall, Public Policy Director of the Maternity Care Coalition, said, “OB care must either be made profitable or hospitals must be required to provide this essential service to communities.”

With this likely elimination of vital services at Northeastern Hospital, The Temple University Health System, which includes Temple University Hospital, Northeastern Hospital, Episcopal Hospital and Jeanes Hospital, has now broken yet another promise to the community regarding their intent to preserve services in East-central Philadelphia. Temple had previously purchased Neumann Hospital and Episcopal Hospital with promises to maintain them only to close Neumann and to eliminate most acute care services at Episcopal.

Kris Campbell, RN, President of the local nurses’ union commented, “It is outrageous for Temple to eliminate vital services at a time when they receive generous subsidies from the state and federal government as a safety net hospital. Temple’s decision will place patients in jeopardy and it must be stopped.”

According to Temple's own financial statements, TUHS has received more than $120,000,000 in “Enhanced Government Support” in the last 5 years. This is money from the state that most other hospitals do not receive. It is given to Temple so they can perform their role as the safety net hospital for poor and under-served neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Of this amount, more than $27,000,000 was specifically designated for Northeastern hospital.

“Temple President Ann Hart can’t have it both ways: she can’t take money from the state that other hospitals don’t receive and then turn her back on the working class communities that you serve,” said Bill Cruice, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP), the union for Temple’s Nurses.