CALAIS – Calais Regional Hospital’s shift to a new kind of health care structure is going smoothly, the hospital’s top administrator said.

Ray Davis, chief executive officer, told his board at the hospital’s annual meeting Monday that Calais Regional Hospital has changed its status from a licensed acute care facility to a critical access facility. The change became effective Jan. 1.

The critical access designation allows the hospital to remain a 24-hour emergency care facility. But, even though it originally was licensed as a 49-bed facility, it now is a 25-bed facility with 15-acute care beds and 10 swing beds.

According to hospital officials, the average number of patients in the hospital on any given day has been 12 for the past three years.

Davis said hospital officials hope the new designation will allow for an improved cash flow and a better financial performance that will lead to either capital improvements at the hospital or cost relief for patients.

“Simply put, [the new status] was attained by seeking a new license designation, incorporating some new regulatory parameters and reducing bed capacity. In return, the federal and state governments increased their payment to the hospital,” Davis said.

During the year, hospital users were surveyed, and more than half believe the hospital should add to the staff more family physicians, an orthopedist and surgeons.

To offer new services, the hospital partnered with a group formed by 11 rural hospitals and 250 doctors. Through the group, Calais Regional can offer a congestive heart failure program, which allows for outpatient follow-up in an effort to reduce readmission to the hospital.

But Davis pointed out that the effort to improve health status for patients is a double-edged sword because the hospital is faced with a diminished demand for its inpatient services.