Saguaro
02-17-2008, 08:50 PM
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - The military is shutting down the Air Force Academy's emergency room and its hospital's inpatient services.
Two nearby civilian hospitals have the capacity to take over its more than 100,000 patients, authorities said.
The academy will phase out the services starting April 1, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported. Outpatient services will still be offered.
By the end of June the academy hospital will no longer admit patients, except for a few cadets, said Col. Alan Berg, commander of the 10th Medical Group.
The change comes as the military shifts more of its resources to cope with war casualties.
The academy's health staff will be cut by more than half from 45 to 21 as part of the overall federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The same plan will bring thousands more troops to Fort Carson, an Army post near the air academy.
The Air Force Academy patients will be sent to Memorial Hospital Central or Penrose Hospital.
The academy hospital had served about 30,000 families, retirees, active military and cadets. It also was the primary care provider or the provider of specialty care for 105,000 in the Colorado Springs area.
The Air Force Academy had been ranked the No. 1 hospital in the Air Force and among the best medium-sized hospitals in the military.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080217/ap_on_re_us/academy_hospital;_ylt=Aq9wRFh7Ntf0tsZP_bL6lZxvzwcF
Two nearby civilian hospitals have the capacity to take over its more than 100,000 patients, authorities said.
The academy will phase out the services starting April 1, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported. Outpatient services will still be offered.
By the end of June the academy hospital will no longer admit patients, except for a few cadets, said Col. Alan Berg, commander of the 10th Medical Group.
The change comes as the military shifts more of its resources to cope with war casualties.
The academy's health staff will be cut by more than half from 45 to 21 as part of the overall federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The same plan will bring thousands more troops to Fort Carson, an Army post near the air academy.
The Air Force Academy patients will be sent to Memorial Hospital Central or Penrose Hospital.
The academy hospital had served about 30,000 families, retirees, active military and cadets. It also was the primary care provider or the provider of specialty care for 105,000 in the Colorado Springs area.
The Air Force Academy had been ranked the No. 1 hospital in the Air Force and among the best medium-sized hospitals in the military.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080217/ap_on_re_us/academy_hospital;_ylt=Aq9wRFh7Ntf0tsZP_bL6lZxvzwcF