DAYTON — After Wednesday’s announcement that Good Samaritan Hospital will shut its doors for good at the end of the year, many in the Miami Valley are wondering what will happen to the facility’s 1,600 employees.
The hospital’s parent company, Premier Health, said its goal is to offer jobs to all those employees at its other facilities in the region.
RELATED: Local leaders 'saddened' by announced hospital closing
“I think it’s very doable, especially with the Premier network and the Dayton region overall,” said Bryan Bucklew, president of the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association.
Currently, there are about 800 jobs available in hospitals across the Dayton area, and Premier always has openings that are unfilled, he said.
RELATED: Special Report: Million dollar paychecks for top hospital CEOs
He believes that with a year to work, Premier will come close to providing potential jobs for all Good Samaritan employees. It’s the advantage of Dayton hospital networks being privately owned, Bucklew said.
“So they don’t want to do things that hurt the community, they want to do things that make sure the community has access to health care,” he said.
RELATED: Sale of Premier Health's insurance line falls apart
The decision to close the hospital came after Premier officials decided that they can’t keep Good Samaritan and Miami valley Hospital opened when both facilities are less than five miles apart and duplicate many of the same services.
They have nearly 12 months to provide options for workers, and say they know some may choose retirement or get out of the health care field.