200-plus job openings at area Steward facilities, company spokeswoman says

YOUNGSTOWN

Marcia Schiffauer was born at Northside hospital.

So were her children.

Schiffauer, who has worked as a nurse there for 35 years, hoped her grandchildren would one day be born there, too.

“That’s not going to happen. It’s a shame,” she said in an emotional speech Thursday in front of Northside Regional Medical Center, which Steward Health Care announced Wednesday will permanently close Sept. 20.

“I understand we need a census. We need patients,” Schiffauer continued. “What can we do to get that? I think we needed more time. I wish we had that time.”

Schiffauer was joined by numerous other Northside nurses, representatives from the Ohio Nurses Association and Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, state Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, D-33rd, and M. Rosie Thompson Taylor, a representative of the local faith community.

Ryan and Schiavoni vowed to do their part to support the 388 employees Steward said will be affected by the hospital closure.

“I’m frustrated with the fact that we’re always talking about displaced workers in the Valley and getting them in the position to make a livable wage,” Schiavoni said. “We have to make sure ... we hold Steward’s feet to the fire.”

Steward has announced two on-site job fairs Thursday and Sept. 6.

“There are over 200 job openings between Trumbull Regional Medical Center, Sharon Regional Medical Center, Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital alone, as well as openings at Steward area medical practices,” Trish Hrina, a Steward spokeswoman, told The Vindicator. She said Steward is hosting the job fairs “to work with Northside employees to help them transition to other sites or pursue other medical jobs within the region.

“There are also hundreds of open health care jobs within this market, and Steward is already working with area employers to help Northside employees find new positions.”

Read more about the situation in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.