Nurses, patients voice frustration at North Star cuts

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – After serving the area for nearly 70 years, North Country Orthopedic Group is set to close today.

And pending state approval, an attached ambulatory surgery center may soon follow.

Nurses and patients voiced their frustration Thursday night at a public hearing hosted by North Star Health Alliance.

“I came in here the other day to take some pictures of the pictures that were up here. They start way back when this place started back on Washington Street. Seeing the pictures gone, it’s like being punched in the stomach,” said Donald Metzger, who has been receiving care at North Country Orthopedic Group for more than half a century.

Its closure is one of the service cuts in the north country, as North Star Health Alliance navigates bankruptcy.

“It’s been a very challenging last several weeks, particularly for our employees who have been here through this change after the announcement and continue to provide care for patients unwaveringly through that process. I thank you for that,” said Andrew Manzer, interim CEO.

But many of those staff members say they feel blindsided. One LPN stood up to apologize to her patients that will now need to seek care at another location..

“We are so sorry. We didn’t make this decision. Our patients are crying with us. We have celebrated with our patients, cried with them, mourned with them. We are a family,” said Kathy Walters.

North Country Orthopedic is a done deal. North Star still needs the state’s approval to close the ambulatory surgery center.

That was the subject of Thursday’s public hearing.

One RN called attention to the fact that it’s the only outpatient surgery center of its type in the tri-county area.

“We’re forcing them to overburden Samaritan’s OR. We’re forcing them to overburden Carthage’s OR.. with small elective procedures that can so easily be done a step away,” said Kelly Callahan.

For now, procedures will still happen at the surgery center.

But if the state approve’s North Star’s decision to close it, its doors will be closed for the forseeable future, just like North Country Orthopedic..

Copyright 2026 WWNY. All rights reserved.