PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Bethesda Hospital is discontinuing pediatric rehabilitation services at three of its Palm Beach County locations effective Aug. 21, forcing parents to find new providers for their children's essential therapy. The decision impacts families like that of 8-month-old Liam Palmer, who relies on the hospital for multiple, life-long treatments for rare congenital conditions.
A spokesperson for the hospital, which is part of Baptist Health, confirmed the closures and stated they are working to support families in transitioning their care to other local providers.
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A Family's Race Against Time
For families like the Palmers, the notice has started a race against the clock. Liam was born six weeks premature with clubfoot and arthrogryposis, a rare condition that affects joint mobility and requires intensive, specialized therapy.
"We were told by the doctor we needed to get him into some therapies because he was born with some conditions," Nicole Lee, Liam’s grandmother, told WPTV.
Lee explained that after a nearly month-long stay in the NICU, it took the family three months to get all the authorizations needed for Liam to be seen in Bethesda’s program. Both of Liam's parents are deaf, adding another layer of complexity to navigating the healthcare system.
"He needs occupational therapy. He needs PT, which is physical therapy. He also needs feeding therapy," Lee said. "And eventually, he'll need speech therapy as well. So it's a lot."
Bethesda Hospital Confirms Closure
The family received a notice in the mail just a few weeks ago, informing them that services at their Bethesda East location, along with offices at Baptist Health City and in Wellington, would soon end.
In a statement sent to WPTV, a Bethesda Hospital spokesperson said:
“Bethesda Hospital has discontinued pediatric rehabilitation services and is supporting patients’ families to transition care to providers offering pediatric rehabilitation. These services will no longer be available at our hospital-based location or at our offices at Baptist Health City and in Wellington. Our team is making every effort to ensure that all existing appointments through August 21 remain unaffected. Our top priority is continuity of care, and we are working closely with anyone impacted by the change.”Lee said the sudden announcement was shocking and did not provide enough time for families to make new arrangements for such critical care.
"I don't feel like the hospital gave us any idea of why this is closing for a program that's been around for a long time," Lee said. "It seems a little odd that they wouldn't personally tell the families ahead of time."
With the Aug. 21 deadline looming, the family is now urgently searching for new specialists who can provide the level of care their son requires.
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