Exeter Hospital has reportedly stopped offering pediatric dental services despite agreeing to postpone cuts for another six months, the Portsmouth Herald reported Oct. 4.
Here are seven things to know:
1. Exeter Hospital previously planned to close its neurology, podiatry, allergy and immunology, and pediatric dentistry services in October.
2. The decision to cut these services came after the hospital previously announced it would end its advanced life support paramedic intercept service, citing financial reasons such as rising costs and a "challenging reimbursement environment."
3. Backlash from patients and state regulators led the hospital to agree to delay the cuts for six months.
4. New Hampshire Executive Councilor Janet Stevens called the hospital's agreement "disingenuous" because the hospital has already closed two of the services, pediatric dentistry and allergy and immunology. She also said the hospital announced layoffs.
5. A hospital spokesperson would not confirm the closures or layoffs to the Portsmouth Herald, but a previous statement said hospital leaders "identified opportunities to restructure staff roles, including eliminating some positions, to best meet local health care needs in a sustainable way."
6. The attorney general's office is currently investigating whether Exeter Hospital's decisions to cut the services violated a prior agreement between the office and Cambridge, Mass.-based Beth Israel Lahey.
7. The attorney general's office approved Beth Israel's acquisition of Exeter Hospital last year on conditions that the health system would expand services and make investments totaling $375 million.