Updated 4:30 p.m.

HCA Houston Healthcare Cypress Fairbanks, formerly known as the Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital, has begun the process of transitioning from a full-service hospital into a freestanding emergency room, according to a statement from HCA officials.

The transition has begun effective immediately, but select inpatient services will be offered at the hospital in the interim, said Sean Burnett, HCA's vice president of strategic communications. It was not immediately clear when the transition could be fully completed or how long the interim services would be offered.

The 181-bed hospital, located at 10655 Steepletop Drive, Houston, was purchased by HCA Healthcare in August 2017. Its name was changed to HCA Houston Healthcare Cypress Fairbanks at the end of January.

In the separate statement posted to the hospital's website, officials said the transition to an emergency room is being carried out following an evaluation of the area's health care needs and the costs of delivering them.

"In our latest evaluation of the community’s healthcare needs and the costs associated with operating multiple facilities near each other, we determined that it is necessary to realign the services we offer in northwest Houston," according to the statement.

As an emergency room, the Cypress Fairbanks campus will serve as a campus of HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball, Burnett said.

Inpatient services—including those related to cardiology, spine care, oncology and neurological care—will continue to be available at HCA Houston Healthcare North Cypress. Located at 21214 Hwy. 290, Cypress, the hospital was purchased by HCA in September and is in the midst of several expansions.

"We have expanded inpatient capabilities at HCA Houston Healthcare North Cypress by adding 24 patient beds to serve its growing specialties in orthopedics, oncology, neuroscience and general surgery," Burnett said. "Additionally, we are committing $16 million in capital improvements at the hospital to three new operating rooms and an additional cardiac catheterization lab for cardiovascular procedures."

Other inpatient services—including those related to bariatric surgery, gastroenterology, pulmonary care and urology—are offered either at HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball or HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest Houston. The Northwest Houston hospital will add staff to its neonatal intensive care unit as a part of the service realignment, Burnett said.

The Women's Imaging Center at HCA Houston Cypress Fairbanks, located at 11307 FM 1960, Houston, will remain open and continue to offer services as usual.

Emergency room services at the Cypress Fairbanks campus will include treatment for pediatric emergencies, breathing issues, deep wounds, broken bones, severe burns, head injuries, seizures, suspected poisoning, and drug and alcohol overdoses.

In is not clear as of publication of this article exactly how the transition will affect jobs, but Burnett said HCA's human resourcing recruiters will work with affected employees to find opportunities within the market.

An effort was previously underway at the Cypress Fairbanks hospital to achieve a Level II Trauma Care facility. The statement from Burnett did not address the effort, but noted Level II trauma services will continue to be available at the Northwest Hospital.

Scheduled services at the Cypress Fairbanks campus are being redirected to HCA Houston Healthcare North Cypress, according to the website.

Community Impact Newspaper has reached out for additional information and will update this story as it becomes available.

This story was updated at 4:30 p.m. to clarify that outpatient breast imaging services will continue to be available at The Women's Imaging Center at HCA Houston Cypress Fairbanks after the transition.