The closing of two hospitals on either side of the Ohio River in Ohio and West Virginia means nearly 1,100 workers will lose their jobs.
The layoffs are occurring at Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling and sister facility East Ohio Regional hospital in Martins Ferry, Ohio. After two years of ownership, Irvine, California-based Alecto Healthcare Services announced both hospitals will close by next month.
The layoffs are the latest blow to a region on the edge of the Rust Belt that hasn’t fully benefited from the economic recovery that President Donald Trump — who attended a private campaign fundraiser in Wheeling in July — has touted.
The area had managed to hang on after steel mills and other manufacturing plants closed.
