AMES, Iowa -- Mary Greeley Medical Center announced on Thursday that it will be closing the Israel Family Hospice House at the end of the year.

The hospice house has been providing end-of-life care to patients since 1999. In a statement posted on the medical center's website, the decision to close the house was made due to the decline in patients being served at the home. According to the medical center, the home contains 10 patient rooms, but on average only about four to five patients are at the home at a time. In the past, the medical center said there have been times when there were no patients in the home.

The medical center also cited financial strain as another factor for the closure, as the house has reportedly operated at a loss for several years and has been subsidized from the

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