Naval Hospital Bremerton ER transitioning into urgent care center

BREMERTON -- Naval Hospital Bremerton said it would create an urgent care facility out of its emergency department, according to a report by the Kitsap Sun.

This, after rumors surfaced that the entire hospital would be closed.

The Navy told the Sun that not only would the hospital remain open, no services would be discontinued.

Officials said the changes followed an evaluation of patient needs at several treatment centers nationwide. According to the Kitsap Sun, the survey found a shift toward outpatient services, due to advancements in clinical care and technology.

A hospital spokesperson told the Sun that the emergency room at Naval Hospital Bremerton does not see very many people and the patients who are treated there do not tend to have serious injuries. Most cases involve influenza or sports-related injuries. The intensive care unit also does not receive very much patient traffic.

The hospital told the Kitsap Sun that it planned to close the intensive care unit next June and that it would also start phasing out the family medicine training program. Hospital officials said the emergency room would be converted into an urgent care center by September and that it would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.