Mercy St. John’s closing; 125 jobs lost

Some employees get a chance to transfer to other Mercy facilities.

SPRINGFIELD — Catholic Health Partners has notified the state that it intends to close its Mercy St. John’s Center on or about June 1, affecting 125 employees.

The notification required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act was received by the state on Monday. It says workers at the facility, 100 W. McCreight Ave., received individual WARN notices last week.

Among the positions affected, the facility employed 21 LPN staff nurses, 35 nurse’s aides, nine dietary aides and eight environmental services technicians. Other positions affected include cooks, bus drivers, medical clerks, an occupational therapist and a social worker.

Officials from Community Mercy Health Partners have said they will try to find jobs for their employees at other facilities in Springfield, Dayton and Urbana. The WARN notice reiterates the intention to transfer employees, and says those workers who cannot be transferred will receive a severance package, according to the WARN notice.

The notice also notes that there is no union organization and no applicable bumping or transfer rights.

Dave Lamb, a spokesman for the company, could not be reached for comment late Wednesday afternoon. However, company officials have said the facility has struggled financially for the last five years.

“We’re going to work closely with Mercy St. John’s employees to find jobs available within the system,” Lamb said when the closing was announced last week.

The facility has about 45 residents and offered specialized programs for long-term care needs, including adult day care services, senior health and housing services and skilled nursing care.

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