ProMedica has notified more than 260 employees — most of them remote workers — that they will be laid off in the coming months.
The layoffs are related to ProMedica's recent giveaway of its share in 147 money-losing skilled nursing homes located around the country.
Some 255 employees who will be let go work from home around the country in regional and corporate support staff roles for the senior care facilities, according to a letter sent this week to Ohio workforce officials, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, and the Lucas County Board of Commissioners.
Another seven employees notified work at The Summit Center offices on Summit Street in downtown Toledo, said the letter from Gary Cates, ProMedica's chief government relations officer. It was not specified exactly what those workers do but ProMedica's senior care offices are the main occupant of that building.
The layoffs are expected to take place in March and early April, the letter said. Mr. Cates wrote that ProMedica believes that some of the new operators of the nursing homes will hire some of the laid-off employees, "but their hiring needs are still developing at the time of this notice."
The layoffs come after ProMedica finalized its deal to unload the nursing homes in late December amid significant financial troubles. It had purchased them in 2018.
“While more than 8,000 ProMedica employees have already transitioned or are in the process of transitioning to new skilled nursing facility operators, we expect that some positions will be eliminated due to the transition,” Tausha Moore, a ProMedica spokesman, said in an email.
“The majority of the affected positions provide a range of support services for the skilled nursing facilities, including sales, marketing and administrative,” she added. “Most of the affected positions are held by individuals who work from home across the country.”
A new venture involving Toledo-based Welltower and Integra Health, a New York-based investment company, now oversee the facilities, though ProMedica has said other local operators will run their day-to-day operations.
“We empathize with the affected employees and are committed to assisting them through their transition,” Ms. Moore said. “We are encouraging them to explore possible open positions with the new operators. ProMedica’s human resources department is also working closely with affected employees to provide support during this process.”
Losing the 147 homes leaves ProMedica with just 10 such facilities around its hospitals and health care facilities in northwest Ohio and southern Michigan. ProMedica continues to also operate its 11 regional hospitals. Ms. Moore said it would be “premature to speculate” about any other coming changes to the senior care division.
First Published January 12, 2023, 2:34 p.m.
