OSF St. Clare in Princeton shuts down ICU

PRINCETON — OSF St. Clare, formerly Perry Memorial Hospital has shut down its intensive care unit, a move one hospital spokesperson said should be temporary.

“Like many health care providers across the country, OSF HealthCare is facing staffing challenges,” said Media Relations Supervisor Shelli Dankoff in a statement to Shaw Media on Wednesday.

“One of the ways it is managing that at OSF St. Clare Medical Center in Princeton is by temporarily shutting down its three-bed ICU, which, thankfully, has not been used to full capacity recently. (That) has allowed us to make use of the ICU caregivers to meet other critical inpatient staffing needs.”

Dankoff said OSF is actively recruiting for the open positions.

“This is a temporary situation that is being evaluated weekly. ... At no time has patient care been compromised. Patients requiring the higher level of care, where an ICU is required, are being transferred within the OSF HealthCare Ministry for that care.”

A person with knowledge of the situation at the hospital said the ICU has been closed for about one week.