AUSTIN, Texas — After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in September, The Hospital at Westlake Medical Center decided to close its doors to the Emergency Department this weekend.
But notification of the closure came right as Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) was transporting a patient to the hospital. They said in a statement that they received the official notification at 6:47 a.m., 47 minutes after the closure.
ATCEMS said that their ambulances will now have to transport patients to further locations, which could cause increased delays and longer response times.
Westlake resident Jeanette Hewitt, who’s lived there for 30 years, says she is now worried because of these changes.
“As I get older, I’m sure that ... it’ll definitely impact,” Hewitt said. “I live close to here, so it’s like really convenient.”
The emergency room was five minutes away from her home. When she had a bad accident in 2020, she said that close proximity was a life saver.
“I couldn’t drive myself, so I had someone, a friend quickly grabbed me and we went to that emergency room,” Hewitt said. “It felt like a life-changing experience.”
Now, her five-minute trip to the emergency room will more than quintuple. The closest emergency room to her home is now about a 25 to 30 minute drive away, possibly longer with traffic.
The Hospital at Westlake Medical Center sent KVUE the following statement:
"As part of our ongoing restructuring efforts, we have made the difficult decision to close the emergency room for now. We promptly informed all necessary agencies about this change and will maintain open communication on any further developments."
Below is the full statement KVUE received from ATCEMS:
"Austin-Travis County EMS discovered Westlake Medical Center was closing when one of our ambulance crews was completing a transport to the hospital and was informed by staff about the abrupt closure scheduled for 6:00 pm that same day. We received the official notification at 6:47 pm, forty-seven minutes after closure. Westlake Hospital, while a low volume destination, played a significant role in our emergency medical services network.
Ambulances will now need to transport patients to more distant locations, causing delays and potentially leading to increased response times."