BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – Jeff Felton, Director of Belmont County Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS) tells River News Network that up to 250 workers at East Ohio Regional Hospital could be laid off. He says that is half of the hospital’s 500 workers.
Felton said that a human resources officer from East Ohio Regional Hospital contacted Mike Schlanz, Director of the DJFS Ohio Means Jobs office in Martins Ferry about upcoming layoffs and the hospital’s requirement to notify the state of Ohio about the layoffs. Employers are required to submit Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification (WARN) for major worker layoffs. EORH is required to submit a WARN notice but had not done so as of Monday morning.
“They’re trying to figure out the proper process and get ahead of the situation,” Felton explained. “At this point, we know they’ll be required to issue a WARN notice once the decision is made, but nothing has been finalized yet.”
Felton said that the hospital employs roughly 250 individuals – a figure that encompasses not only doctors and nurses, but also therapists, support staff, and other essential personnel. Felton noted that this number represents nearly half of the hospital’s total staff, underscoring the potential scale of the impact. “We’re aware that if the building closes, many of these workers, including independent practitioners who rent space, might suddenly find themselves without a workplace,” he said.
Felton emphasized his agency’s commitment to ensuring that affected workers receive timely assistance. When EORH first closed in 2019, DJFS staff worked directly with employees—setting up meetings in the hospital cafeteria—to provide information on applying for unemployment benefits, accessing retraining programs, and securing food and health assistance such as SNAP and Medicaid.
“Our goal is to help these individuals navigate the transition with as little added stress as possible,” Felton added.
With the impending EORH layoffs, officials are actively preparing to extend support not only to hospital workers but also to other employers that may be facing layoffs, such as Martins Ferry City Schools, Felton said.
As uncertainty continues to loom over East Ohio Regional Hospital’s future, Felton stresses that affected workers should “hang in there” and take advantage of all available support services. “We want to make sure that if this situation comes to pass, no one is left without the help they need to transition to new opportunities,” Felton concluded.
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For more information on available benefits and support services, affected employees are encouraged to contact Belmont County DJFS or visit the official website listed below for guidance and where appointments can be scheduled and applications submitted online.
Belmont County DJFS website or by phone (740) 695-1075
Ohio Means Jobs at their website or by phone at (740) 633-1357
