Steward Health Care intends to lay off more than 1,200 workers this month at two Massachusetts hospitals facing closure.
Dallas-based Steward plans to cut 753 workers at Carney Hospital in Dorchester and 490 employees at Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer on Aug. 31, according to two Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filings.
Related: Court approves Steward Massachusetts hospital closures
A Steward spokesperson said in a statement the decision to close Carney and Nashoba hospitals is one the Dallas-based for-profit chain regrets. The company is encouraging affected employees to apply for jobs at other Steward hospitals, the spokesperson said.
"Steward is acutely aware of the difficulties this will impose on our dedicated and hardworking employees,” the spokesperson said. "We are holding job fairs to facilitate transfers for our employees and will communicate more details with them shortly."
The July 29 WARN filings did not specify the types of roles held by affected employees.
The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May. It has been soliciting bids for its entire network and physician group and announced plans July 26 to close Carney and Nashoba hospitals.
Last week, Judge Christopher Lopez of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District Court of Texas approved the closure of the two hospitals. If the facilities remained open, they would jeopardize the viability of the rest of Steward’s hospital network in Massachusetts, Lopez said during a July 31 hearing.
Massachusetts officials and the state nurse association pushed back, arguing the closures would diminish access to care and hurt the local economy. Following the hearing, Gov. Maura Healey (D) said Steward must follow a state law requiring the health system to give a 120-day notice to the state and affected workers before closing a medical facility. It's unclear whether Steward will be forced to delay the Carney and Nashoba hospital closures.
