MercyOne North Iowa to close Hospice Care facility

(ABC 6 News) – MercyOne North Iowa announced it will be closing its Hospice Care facility in April.

The facility located at 232 Second St. SE in Mason City, will close April 17.

A statement released by MercyOne North Iowa says that labor shortages, inflation costs and the COVD-19 pandemic as being some of the reasons for the facility closure.

While the location of hospice care is changing, MercyOne will still be providing hospice and respite care. Hospice patients at the facility will be transferred to other care facilities before the April 17 closing, while new patients seeking inpatient hospice care will be asked to go to MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center.

“Like all health care systems, MercyOne has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation costs and labor shortages. Unfortunately, this requires difficult decisions for our organization. As a result, by the end of April, inpatient hospice care will be delivered by MercyOne North Iowa within our medical center. There will be no interruption of inpatient or respite care for our hospice patients other than the transfer of that care to a different location. Hospice outpatient care will not be affected and will continue as usual. With care and safety as top priorities, we will work closely with our hospice patients and families to ensure a smooth transition. This decision is one part of an overall plan to address the economic realities of the fundamental shift in health care post-pandemic.”

MercyOne North Iowa

MercyOne North Iowa Hospice has been serving communities since 1982.