Harrisburg, Pa.-based UPMC Pinnacle will close its hospital in Lancaster, Pa., March 1, and lay off the hospital's 505 employees.
The health system announced plans in December to close UPMC Pinnacle Lancaster and transition inpatient services to UPMC Pinnacle Lititz (Pa.). The two hospitals are about 7 miles apart.
The transition of inpatient services from the Lancaster hospital to the Lititz hospital will be completed by March. When the Lancaster hospital shuts down, 505 employees will be laid off, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice filed by UPMC Pinnacle.
However, some employees may transfer to other UPMC Pinnacle facilities.
"Although employees do not have bumping rights into occupied positions, we do have a number of open positions for which many of the affected individuals would qualify," Ann H. Gormley, senior vice president of human services for UPMC Pinnacle, wrote in the notice, according to the Central Penn Business Journal. "Employees are being provided notice and are encouraged to apply for vacant UPMC Pinnacle affiliate positions in which to seek a transfer."
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