BOSTON (WHDH) – Moving trucks were passing in and out of Carney Hospital in Dorchester Tuesday as the hospital’s planned closure continued to rapidly approach.
Just days before Carney is scheduled to shut its doors, the state-run MassHire Rapid Response service was also holding a job fair for soon-to-be unemployed hospital staff.
“It’s just kind of coming down to the end,” said Carney employee Alyssa Bartholomew.
“When I walked in the hospital today, it was just totally empty,” she continued. “It was eerie a little bit.”
Carney was founded in 1863 and is currently owned by Steward Health Care.
Mired in financial troubles, Steward declared bankruptcy earlier this year. Steward said it tried to sell its portfolio of Massachusetts hospitals but was unable to find a qualified buyer for Carney or Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer.
As a result, Steward said it would close both facilities by the end of this month.
News of upcoming hospital closures sparked outrage from patients, public officials, union leaders, and hospital workers.
Critics condemned Steward’s leadership while sounding the alarm about longer trips to hospitals. Critics of the closures also warned of an increased strain on hospitals serving people in the Boston area and central Massachusetts.
On Monday, hundreds of people formed a human chain around Nashoba Valley in an effort to emphasize the hospital’s role in the community.
With Steward pressing ahead on plans to close Carney and Nashoba Valley, employees at Carney on Tuesday said they were concerned.
“A lot of our colleagues are older and it’s harder to find a job when you’re older,” said Narkeya Washington.
Washington was at Tuesday’s MassHire job fair. With more than 30 employers taking part in the event, Washington said the offering was “very helpful.”
“I ended up finding something that’s going to pay me way more than what I was working here,” she said.
MassHire held another…