Hospital that rehabilitates serious injuries to close

A New Hampshire hospital that specializes in rehabilitating serious injuries and degenerative brain damage announced Monday it will close by the end of the summer.

Members of the Crotched Mountain Foundation voted to close their specialty hospital and rehabilitation center in Greenfield due to stagnant reimbursement rates. The foundation's president said the hospital loses money on every patient treated.

"In the end, we could not identify a sustainable financial solution nor continue to absorb the losses of the current program operation," said Michael Coughlin, president and CEO of the foundation.

Most of the patients are on Medicaid, and the hospital has operated with losses up to $5 million per year.

Hospital officials say the 30 patients currently receiving care for brain injuries or other acute needs will be moved home or to other facilities.

The closure is expected to affect about 130 hospital staff members, but some are expected to find work elsewhere within the foundation.

Crotched Mountain's school, community care, residential services, outpatient clinic and assistive technology services are not affected by the decision.