This browser does not support the Video element.
St. Joseph Hospital services
St. Joseph Hospital services
St. Joseph Hospital
MILWAUKEE -- Cutting services or reshaping a hospital's network? Milwaukee's St. Joseph Hospital is embroiled in controversy after it announced it will change the services it provides.
Ascension Wisconsin made the announcement public more than a week ago. Since then, it's been a stream of responses from city officials and those in the community.
"We have created our own problem by going to the suburbs for care and not going to the hospitals in our city," said Milwaukee Alderman Michael Murphy.
St. Joseph's Hospital prepares to limit its services to emergency care, women's care, the NICU, and primary care.
St. Joseph Hospital
"If you let the central city die, you're going to be impacted," said Murphy.
Hospital officials said they're not cutting services at St. Joe's, but are re-shaping their entire system based on services needed and used the most.
St. Joseph Hospital
Bob Donovan
"It's exceedingly frustrating when we have a situation like this when you have a nonprofit entity and it would appear the only thing guiding their decision making is profits," said Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan.
The move reflects a national trend of hospitals moving out of inner cities.
"This problem is beyond St. Joe's and beyond Ascension because the impact of St. Joe's decision will have a direct impact now on Aurora Sinai," Murphy said.
Aurora Health Care officials said the move will reduce or eliminate critical access points which will, "put additional pressure on other providers who are already at capacity. This pressure will undoubtedly have a negative domino impact on staffing and services for our entire community."
St. Joseph Hospital
"They have a moral obligation to this community and we're asking them to abide by that," Donovan said.
Whether it's cuts or reshaping, change is on its way and it may just be a battle of words.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said, any time you have fewer beds, people will be impacted. It is worth noting the Ascension network plans to hold a "community conversation" with members from City Hall in the near future about phase two of the project.
Statement from Ascension Wisconsin:
Statement from Froedtert Hospital:
Statement from Aurora Health Care:
Statement in part from Milwaukee Alderman Tony Zielinski: