Vibra Hospital to Close Springfield Facility in March

SPRINGFIELD — Vibra Hospital, a 220-bed long-term acute care center on State Street, has filed notice with the state that it plans to close. The shutdown will occur in March, the hospital said in a press release.

“We have struggled with this decision,” Gregory Toot, CEO of Vibra’s Springfield operations, said. “But reductions in healthcare reimbursement and changes in referral practices over the past 12 months have made continuing operations in this location unsustainable.”

Vibra said its facilities in New Bedford and the Rochdale village of Leicester will remain open. In March, Vibra reached an agreement with 80 members of the Massachusetts Nurses Assoc. to increase pay.

“We are still seeking more information from Vibra on why this happened,” Joe Markman, a union spokesman, said of the hospital’s closing, adding that there will be public hearings on the matter, and the Massachusetts Nurses Assoc. plans to advocate for its members’ jobs.

Vibra said its Springfield facility has three units with approximately 90 patients: a chronic-care hospital unit, a behavioral-health skilled-nursing unit, and a Department of Mental Health (DMH) psychiatric unit. Vibra is working with the DMH and Department of Public Health to place patients in other facilities.