 - In an effort to refocus its resources, St. John’s Health closed its clinic in Lander last month, offering the final day of service July 31.){kind=link}
(Lander, WY) – In an effort to refocus its resources, St. John’s Health closed its clinic in Lander last month, offering the final day of service July 31.
SJH Chief Communications Officer Karen Connelly said the four people who were employed at the Lander clinic were offered new positions at the company’s Jackson locations, but they chose to stay in Fremont County.
“They’re amazing individuals,” Connelly said this week. “(They were) awesome employees, and hopefully they’ve found other positions where they’ll continue to be successful, because they were really great team members.”
The decision to close the Lander clinic – which opened in 2019 to address health access concerns voiced by patients from Fremont County – comes as SJH works to navigate persistent financial pressures facing rural health care systems and prioritizes its long-term sustainability and core service offerings, according to a press release.
“This was not an easy decision,” SJH CEO Jeff Sollis said. “We are incredibly proud of our Lander team members, and it’s been a privilege to care for our Fremont County patients in their own community. … Unfortunately, we can’t provide the necessary resources at this time to maintain out-of-county clinic operations. …
“Given the financial headwinds facing rural hospitals across the U.S., we need to concentrate on our core services and strategic initiatives.”
Financial challenges facing SJH include:
- Significantly lower reimbursement — with more patients covered by Medicare — due to changing demographics in Teton County’s patient population
- Ongoing reductions in government insurance reimbursement rates
- Rising costs for recruiting and retaining qualified staff, intensified by a competitive national landscape for healthcare workers and high housing costs in Teton County
- Declines in tax revenues due to recent legislative changes
- The need to dedicate more resources to vital service lines, such as behavioral health and the Birth Center’s labor and delivery program
Lander clinic patients seeking assistance selecting a new provider should contact their health insurer, the Wyoming Medical Society, or the provider list.
Copies of medical records can be requested here or by calling (307) 739-7585.
Other changes
In addition to closing the Lander clinic, SJH plans to discontinue summer operations at its urgent care clinics in Teton Village and Grand Teton National Park following their scheduled 2025 seasonal closing dates (Sept. 7 for Teton Village and Oct. 5 for GTNP).
These locations have experienced consistently low summer patient volumes, prompting the change despite prior efforts to boost efficiency and awareness, SJH said in a press release.
SJH began operating the GTNP clinic in 2021, and Teton Village’s summer service was added in 2020, but in their first few years of operation, neither location reached the patient visit targets necessary to support continued summer service.
“The summer operations in Teton Village and Grand Teton National Park incur significant operating losses, despite our targeted marketing and efficiency efforts,” the press release states.
Clinic services will remain fully available until the seasonal closure dates, and winter operations in Teton Village will continue, supported in partnership with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
SJH will also continue to operate its main urgent care clinic at 1415 S. Highway 89 in Jackson year-round, with expanded hours as of 2024.
The company says the changes to its operations are part of a broader strategic effort to ensure continued service delivery in Teton County.
“These changes will allow us to focus on areas where we can provide the greatest value and stability to our community,” said Sollis. “Our goal is to preserve the long-term health of the system while continuing to meet the evolving needs of our patients.”
As a locally-led, independent health system, SJH remains committed to adapting to financial realities while preserving access to essential care and achieving strategic goals.
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