T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Belmont County Commissioner Vince Gianangeli says he recently was made aware that WVU Medicine has expressed interest in setting up interviews with healthcare workers who lost their jobs at East Ohio Regional Hospital.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Belmont County Board of Commissioners President J.P. Dutton is disappointed that East Ohio Regional Hospital in Martins Ferry is closing portions of its operation and struggling to pay its staff and bills.

“It’s a very disappointing situation and is very challenging. We hope that the ship can be righted, obviously, but it does seem like it’s very difficult at this point. There is a need for that facility to be open, I do know that much,” Dutton said during a regular commission meeting Wednesday. “I do know that there is a need for health care in Martins Ferry and in that portion of Belmont County, really that part of the Ohio Valley. We cannot go backwards in terms of where we were a few years ago, in terms of the amount of health care options that there were at that time.

“We were very excited, obviously, when East Ohio Regional Hospital reopened because of that reason,” he continued, referring to the 2019 closure of the facility and its reopening under new ownership in early 2021. “And we stand ready to assist any way that we can. But at this time, there’s very limited ways that our board really can be helpful in this situation but to just stand ready and if the opportunity arises, we will be there to have those discussions.”

Over the past week, more than 60 of the hospital’s employees filed reports with the Martins Ferry Police Department, complaining of unpaid insurance claims and not receiving their wages.

It has been almost two weeks since employees of EORH were supposed to receive their most recent paychecks on March 7. Another scheduled payday is approaching Friday.

As of now, only the Emergency Room is open at the hospital. The pharmacy is slated to close permanently on March 28, though it is not currently staffed or filling any prescriptions.

In response to the numerous reports, the Martins Ferry Police Department has said it is in the early stages of investigating these claims and has been in contact with the FBI about the matter, which officers believe may be a white collar crime. Sgt. Vincent West previously noted, though, that it will be determined at a higher level of the justice system whether the failure to pay employees is a criminal or civil matter.

In addition to employees not receiving compensation for hours worked, the hospital recently began voluntary layoffs and made cuts to “ancillary services.”

Commissioner Vince Gianangeli said he recently was made aware by Belmont County Workforce Administrator Mike Schlanz that WVU Medicine has expressed interest in setting up interviews with healthcare workers who lost their jobs at EORH.

Gianangeli added that Schlanz relayed to him that there are many positions available and that WVU Medicine is more than willing to interview those workers in hopes of filling open positions and providing displaced workers with jobs.

“I feel hopeful that a lot of those employees, if they lose their jobs, that they’ll be able to retain them at other healthcare facilities,” Gianangeli said.