WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- Landmark Medical Center on Wednesday laid off 22 employees after patient volume dropped in recent weeks. Spokesman Bill Fischer said that the hospital has seen a steady but "not dramatic" decline in patients.
The move comes on the heels of 31 layoffs four weeks ago at Landmark, which has been in receivership since June 2008. The hospital's union has challenged the layoffs.
Fischer said the latest layoffs were "across the board," not in one sector. One was at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island, which Landmark owns.
Prime Healthcare Services of California, the hospital's prospective buyer, is advising the hospital, but Fischer said the final decision came from special master Jonathan N. Savage, who is seeking "to preserve [its] long-term operations."