PUEBLO HOSPITAL WILL DOWNSIZE, TRIMMING 272 JOBS

Pueblo’s St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center said Thursday that it must restructure its business in order to stay viable.

The changes include 272 layoffs among its 800 full-time workers, according to a notice filed with the state’s Labor Department.

The Pueblo Chieftain reported that the hospital will close its medical and surgical floor, although such services will be available on a smaller scale.

The medical telemetry and intensive care unit also will be trimmed.

Hospital CEO Mike Cafasso said the hospital’s finances have been stable but not sustainable. It will instead focus on programs it can grow, including its “award winning” cancer-care service and orthopedics program, according to the paper.

Pueblo’s other hospital system, Parkview Medical Center, called the cuts “devastating” and said “it is incredibly disappointing to see Centura Health take such drastic action without some public discussion or effort to completely comprehend the incredible harm this will bring to our community,” according to a KKTV report.

As part of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, St. Mary-Corwin, which is part of Centura Health, told the state that the job cuts would start next Thursday and be completed by Sept. 30.