Patients 'panicked' after Adena Health closes allergy department without warning

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Chillicothe hospital that’s been the subject of multiple NBC4 Investigations over the last year has suddenly closed its allergy department.

It’s a move that many told NBC4 Investigates has left them stranded without options for treatment, including some cases of life-threatening conditions.

Messages from former Adena Health allergy patients have been rolling in, with many saying they had no complaints with the department and loved the two doctors throughout their months of treatment. Then, all of a sudden, it closed.  

"I started panicking, freaking out. So I was a little terrified, honestly," former Adena patient Kiana Frantom said. 

Two letters were shared with NBC4 Investigates, including one to Adena staff on Aug. 6 that reads in part: “Effective today, the contracts of Adena's two allergy physicians were terminated. This development required Adena to make the needed decision to close the allergy and immunology department.”

"I never got a phone call. I got a letter in the mail, like a month after they closed the office down," former Adena patient Lacey Snedeker said. 

One patient NBC4 spoke with received a letter more than 20 days later that stated the two allergy doctors were no longer with the hospital and said “this staffing change also required Adena to make the difficult decision to close the Allergy and Immunology Department.”

Another patient says she called personally and never got a notice from Adena. She has asthma and gets allergy shots.

"All of my appointments I scheduled out for the next six months were canceled all at once, and I still have not received a letter," Frantom said. "I'm assuming they didn't call me because I called in, but nobody has reached out to me from Adena themselves in regards to this at all."

Another patient found out from social media. One was only partway through much-needed allergy treatment.

Snedeker has been a patient at Adena for 10 years. She has common variable immunodeficiency. Without her treatments, something like a cold could be deadly. She said she relies on her doctor.

"I panicked because she's the one that helped keep me alive," Snedeker said. 

She says her sister was the one to find her a new doctor, but now the drive is more than double her previous commute to treatment.

"If something major happens where I need to be close to him, it's like life or death," Snedeker said. 

Both former patients say they won’t be back to Adena.

"I don't currently trust Adena to make the right choices in judgments for patients, especially, like I said, I'm not a worse-off case. But I know that there are people who are seeing an allergy with Adena who are a lot worse off with their allergies, who are now in even worse of a bind," Frantom said. 

NBC4 reached out to Adena Health asking for a statement on this closure and how they are helping patients find a new place for treatment. A spokesperson sent a statement saying: 

"Last month, Adena Health had to make the needed decision to close its Allergy and Immunology Department. This decision was a result of unforeseen circumstances not connected to Adena’s current operations. Adena does not take decisions like this lightly and our priority has been supporting our clinical staff and ensuring continuity of care for our patients. All established patients were notified by phone, letter or through MyChart, and a sizeable majority have already had their care successfully transferred to either Adena Health primary care or one of our many allergy partners within the region. Any patients who have not finalized plans for ongoing care should contact Adena and we will work with them to find the best option for their care."