MARTINS FERRY — It remained unclear Monday whether employees of East Ohio Regional Hospital should expect to be paid today.

In an email to all hospital staff on Monday, Chief Operating Officer Julie Ross said she did not have any new information to share with employees, who had been notified via email on Friday that they would not be paid that day as scheduled.

“I do not have an update today on when payroll will arrive to your accounts,” wrote Ross, who also works as chief nursing officer and vice president of Revenue Cycle, on Monday. “I am checking closely with Dr. (John) Johnson and our banks to have a better idea.

“I will keep everyone posted as information arrives to me.”

Johnson, the owner of East Ohio Regional Hospital, sent the email Friday that noted the administration was “working hard to enable a disbursement to take place on or before 3/11/25,” which is today.

The payroll delay is just one of several issues the hospital has been dealing with in recent weeks. It is not the first time that payroll has been delayed. In August, then-COO Bernie Albertini and Unified Bank said a bank issue caused a delay in processing wire transfers to the hospital’s payroll company, Paylocity. Because of that, some employees were paid on time while others were not. Albertini has since resigned from his post, though Ross said his decision to leave had nothing to do with the late payroll.

In addition, the hospital recently announced the closure of its long-term care facility and that employee health insurance coverage had been discontinued. Belmont County Treasurer Katherine Kelich confirmed the hospital also is in talks with her office to resolve $1.2 million in delinquent property tax payments.

Neither Ross nor Johnson has responded to repeated requests for comment.