Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health has closed Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital in Ashland, Ky.
Bon Secours announced plans in January to close the 214-bed hospital. The hospital was originally scheduled to shut down in September, but the timeline was moved up to April after employees began accepting new jobs or tendering resignations.
"Many members of our team have already accepted new positions conditionally, meaning that start dates with their new employers can't begin until their employment at OLBH ends," Jason Asic, interim president of OLBH, said in February. "These employers have hired our staff in good faith, and we want to provide the time frame for when these transitions can take place."
Bon Secours began scaling back services at OLBH in February, and all patient care, including emergency services, ended by April 30. The health system said medical records will be available to patients after the closure date.
More than 1,200 employees were affected by the closure, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice filed with the state. Dozens of job fairs over the past four months have helped some hospital employees secure new jobs.
More articles on healthcare finance:
Mayo Clinic receives $1B in grants, loans
Cash crunch from COVID-19 could force 100 hospitals to close
More than $1B in bailout funds go to CHS, HCA and UHS