50-year-old Pinellas County health care group closing, cutting 245 jobs

Diagnostic Clinic Medical Group, a 50-year-old health care organization based in Pinellas County, is closing its doors and laying off 245 people.

The company notified state officials Tuesday in a letter saying that it will be shutting down its four local offices Sept. 3 and that employees had been notified.

“Unfortunately,” the letter signed by Diagnostic’s CEO Tracy Williams, says, “this closing is permanent and will affect all employees.”

The news may be new to state officials, but Diagnostic advised patients last month in a letter with information on how to obtain their records and find new doctors. (A copy of the letter was posted on Health News Florida’s website Tuesday.)

Diagnostic has also posted the news on its website, saying its last day of operation will be Aug. 30.

“We wish you good health and a rewarding relationship with your new medical team,” says a message on the website. “Thank you for trusting us with your care needs. It’s been an honor to serve you.”

Diagnostic is part of Jacksonville-based GuideWell, a nonprofit mutual holding company that owns Florida Blue, which bought Diagnostic Clinic Medical Group in 2012.

At the time of the sale, Florida Blue described it in a news release as “one of the largest medical facilities in Pinellas County, with approximately 100 highly trained health care providers on staff, handling more than 400,000 patient visits per year.”

More updated information was not immediately available.

In a statement Tuesday, Florida Blue says "this business decision allows our parent company to improve operations by focusing on delivering the most seamless, high quality, accessible and affordable primary care for its health plan members." 

 "We are helping existing patients transition to new providers, including those in or near our current locations, and will work to ensure there are no gaps in care," the company says in a statement.

In the letter to the state, which was sent to meet federal Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification requirements, Diagnostic says of its four offices that are closing, three are in Pinellas County offices and one is in Polk County.

All separations, the letter says, will be completed by Dec. 21.

Diagnostic joins a growing number of health care providers that are ceasing doing business in the state this year. 

In April, Walmart announced it was closing its health care centers nationwide, including nine locations in the Gulf region. That followed Walgreens' February announcement that it was closing 50 of its VillageMD clinics inside Florida stores.

This story has been updated to include a statement from Florida Blue.