St. Helena Hospital Napa Valley to close rehab program
St. Helena Hospital Napa Valley plans to close its 4-decade-old drug and alcohol rehabilitation center this spring.
The unit had been operating at a financial loss for many years, due to decreasing insurance coverage and low reimbursement rates for addiction services, hospital officials said. The Deer Park facility will close the 28-day residential program on April 8.
After the closure, however, medical detoxification services will still be provided for referred patients, said Jill Kinney, Adventist Health spokesperson.
The hospital will be working with Duffy’s Napa Valley Rehab in Calistoga and Mountain Vista Farm in Glen Ellen, as resources to care for patients in need of drug and alcohol rehabilitation services.
As a result of the closure, 17 full-time and 11 part-time employees will lose their jobs, Kinney said. The employees are being encouraged to apply for other positions within the hospital or Adventist system. Another possibility could be for them to relocate to Duffy’s or Mountain Vista.
“This is not something we wanted to do. This is something we needed to do,” said Steven Herber, M.D., St. Helena Hospital’s president and CEO. “We regret we have to make these changes. The hospital just can’t afford to sustain the losses any longer. As leader’s in today’s healthcare environment, it is important we balance growth with finacial stewardship.”
The rehab center has served thousands of patients each year in its residential recovery program since it opened in 1975. The center will continue to provide services for those currently enrolled in the program.
“This news is not taken lightly by any of the staff members on the unit or in the hospital,” said Martha Bruce, who has been assigned as the transition leader. “This service has a long history of helping people and families to get on a path to recovery and rehabilitation. The staff has put their heart and souls into helping these patients and their families. We are grateful that we can work with other resources in the community to make sure these patients get access to the care they need.”
Started in 1878 as Deer Park Sanitarium, the hospital is part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system that serves more than 75 communities in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Adventist Health comprises 20 hospitals with nearly 3,000 beds, nearly 19,000 employees.
