Financial strain has forced Forest Park and St. Alexius Hospitals to merge. The merger will result in the combined loss of 300 jobs between the two hospitals.
Hospital Chief Executive James O’Keefe said of the 300 workers, 268 are full time. He said Forest Park Hospital will only have emergency services after the merger and all other services will be offered at St. Alexius.
O’Keefe said if the merger had not happened, Forest Park Hospital would have faced a $24 million loss in the coming year.
The jobs affected are wide ranging. “We have one employed doctor right now so it’s clinical people, it’s nurses, it’s technicians, it’s back office people, it’s housekeeping people, it’s dietary people, it’s really across the spectrum,” O’Keefe said.
According to a memorandum sent to employees, their positions will end on April 11th of this year and no severance packages will be provided.
Information from KSDK.com contributed to this report.