AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.—The war-stressed military is shutting down the Air Force Academy’s emergency room and its inpatient hospital. The two civilian hospitals that will take over serving more than 100,000 people in one way or another say it will not be a problem.
The Gazette reported Saturday that the academy will phase out the services starting April 1.
The academy’s health staff will be cut by more than half from 45 to 21 as part of the overall federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The same plan will bring thousands more troops to Fort Carson.
The Air Force Academy patients will be sent to civilian hospitals, Memorial or Penrose.
The hospital had served about 30,000 families, retirees, active military and cadets. It also was the primary care provider or the provider of specialty care for 105,000 in the Colorado Springs area.
Memorial Hospital Central has one of the busiest ERs in the state, but spokesman Chris Valentine said the academy’s loss of services shouldn’t be a burden on the system. The health system’s new location in northern Colorado Springs has reduced the load on the ER, and Valentine said the hospital already serves a significant number of military families.
Penrose Hospital is also prepared to handle any additional volume, said Amy Sufak, Penrose spokeswoman.
The Air Force Academy had been ranked the No. 1 hospital in the Air Force and among the best medium-sized hospitals in the military.
By the end of June the academy hospital will no longer admit patients, except for a few cadets, said Col. Alan Berg, commander of the 10th Medical Group.
