title: Recommendations for managing hospital closure.
abstract: An acute care hospital was closed by the British Columbia Ministry of Health in 1993. A research study was conducted to investigate the ways closure of the hospital affected hospital employees and to identify ways to facilitate the closure/reorganization process. Unstructured interviews were conducted with 25 employees around the time of closure and six months after the closure. In the category Living with Closure, six themes arose from the qualitative analysis. They related to (1) provision of information; (2) effect of closure on the working environment and colleagues; (3) perceived stress; (4) recognition of one's worth; (5) provision of support services; and (6) the process of having a new job. The authors offer recommendations stemming from the analysis, which are intended to assist others planning for future hospital reorganizations or closures.
authors.affiliation: Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van der Wal
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bouthillette
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Havlovic
mesh_terms: D001955:British Columbia; D006271:Health Facility Closure; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010557:Personnel Administration, Hospital / Q000379:methods*; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D011590:Psychology, Industrial; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological