Over One-Thousand Will Lose Jobs When Hospitals Close

WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) – Notices filed in West Virginia and Ohio reveal that 1,079 workers will lose their jobs when two hospitals are closed this fall.  The Intelligencer reports Worker Adjustment  and Retraining Notification filings indicate 736 workers will lose their jobs at Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling, West Virginia, and 343 more will lose their jobs when East Ohio Regional  Hospital closes in Martins Ferry, Ohio. The notices are legally required ahead of mass layoffs.  California-based Alecto Healthcare Services owns the hospitals and announced this month they’d close as early as Oct. 7.   The newspaper says the closures are expected to leave medical and economic holes across state lines. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and Rep. David McKinley have pledged to fill the gaps, but replacements haven’t been identified.