Dimensions Healthcare System will close Laurel Regional Hospital in Laurel, Md., and replace it with a new $24 million ambulatory care center, according to an article on the Washington Business Journal website.

The 106-bed hospital has seen a 20 percent decline in total admissions since 2013. Recent analysis indicated an ambulatory services facility could operate without losses by reducing the scope and complexity of inpatient services.

The new ambulatory facility will include emergency services, outpatient surgery and comprehensive diagnostic imaging.

"Healthcare is changing rapidly in how it is delivered, funded and regulated," Dimensions said in a statement. "Transitioning Laurel Regional Hospital to an ambulatory care facility is a prudent response to new priorities established by Maryland health regulators to invest in enhancing population health and in services that make the community healthier."

Read the article.