Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) submitted a formal closure notice to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania effective today, with anticipated closing of inpatient, emergency and long-term care services by mid-2026, pending Pennsylvania Department of Health approval.
The region’s declining population and severely reduced patient census that was already minimal in 2019 combined to create financial losses averaging $10.1 million each year since 2021.
The closure decision will transition the Kaleida Health facility campus to an ambulatory/outpatient care model that will continue to provide essential services for the community with a focus on primary care and specialty clinics.
Last year, Kaleida Health launched a $200 million strategic plan designed to enhance patient care, strengthen the organization’s long-term sustainability and expand access to the care and services our community needs most. Under this strategic plan, facilities whose services are not utilized as they once were, and therefore face revenue declines, must be evaluated as part of the whole system’s needs and sustainability.
“Federal funding cuts and long-standing financial pressures across the healthcare industry have accelerated the challenges we face and the decisions we are considering or have already made,” said Don Boyd, president and CEO of Kaleida Health. “This $200 million plan gives us the opportunity to evaluate and reimagine how and where we provide the care and services our communities need most while doing so in the most efficient and effective way. Like other healthcare organizations, we must adapt and find innovative ways to move forward and continue delivering exceptional care.”
As part of this ongoing strategic review and after evaluating the care and services we provided at BRMC, Kaleida Health worked diligently with Commonwealth of Pennsylvania officials and the governor’s office to pursue solutions that would preserve healthcare access locally.
One option presented to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania included converting the campus to an outpatient emergency department without inpatient beds, a successful model of care in Western New York at Kaleida Health’s DeGraff Medical Park in North Tonawanda.
However, following a meeting with Commonwealth officials, they determined that there is no mechanism under Pennsylvania statutory and regulatory law for Bradford to operate an outpatient emergency department. Kaleida Health appreciates the collaboration of state partners throughout this process.
All opportunities were explored in an attempt to sustain as many services as possible in the region, including the pursuit of a strategic partner to oversee operations that would allow for sustained services.
Pending Pennsylvania Department of Health approval, BRMC anticipates continuing operation of its primary care offices and select specialty outpatient clinics, including cardiology, medical oncology, pediatrics, general surgery and wound care, orthopedics and sports medicine, occupational health, women’s health, urology and a lab draw station.
Opportunities to integrate certain imaging services into these clinics are being explored to support a seamless continuum of care.
The closure notice primarily affects the 20-bed inpatient unit, where the average daily census is fewer than one patient per day in 2026 and inpatient utilization has declined by 73% since 2019. Due to regulatory limitations, the notice must also include the emergency department and certain hospital-based services as well as The Pavilion, BRMC’s 95-bed long-term care facility.
The current patient census at The Pavilion is 54, and with two other long-term care options in Bradford and six others in the area, it’s anticipated these patients will be able to smoothly relocate for continued care.
Affected employees among 238 working on the campus will have opportunities to transition into positions within Kaleida Health. Kaleida Health will work with all patients and residents to ensure a safe and seamless transition of care.
Bradford Regional Medical Center remains an important part of Kaleida Health’s regional system. The transition reflects a strategic shift to a sustainable model focused on outpatient and specialty care, ensuring continued access to essential services for the Bradford community into the future.
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