The Health Care Authority of Elba has announced that Elba General Hospital will close its emergency room and discontinue accepting new patients on Thurs., Jan. 31.

Chairman Dr. Kenneth Strong said the board is working to maintain local access to primary and urgent care.

The nursing home affiliated with Elba General Hospital will remain open, and the Board is in active discussions with potential buyers who are interested in operating the nursing home moving forward.

“Elba General has provided healthcare to the residents of the Wiregrass area for 60 years,” Elba General Hospital CEO Mike Dooley said. “But in recent years, we¹ve struggled to maintain our patient base. Patients often choose other hospitals for their care because Elba General does not offer surgical services. As a result it is not financially possible to sustain inpatient acute care services here without surgical or other specialty services.”

-Staff Reports