Employees with the Callaway and Audrain Community Hospitals were furloughed this week as part of the Noble Health System's temporary closure.
Both hospitals are seeking financing to avoid shutting down operations, according to a news release.
Between the two facilities, 175 full-time employees were furloughed this week. According to the release, furloughed employees will continue to have access to healthcare benefits at least through April 30.
According to the release, the hospitals and connected clinics employ 500 people in Callaway, Audrain and surrounding counties.
Jeff Stone, interim CEO of Callaway County Community Hospital said, "Our number one focus is on working through these challenges so we can continue to deliver healthcare close-to home."
Two weeks ago, both hospitals announced they would cease operations temporarily while restructuring operations "in order to become financially viable."
The week prior, both reduced operations and started redirecting ambulances to other facilities due to an IT issue.
Noble Health, which purchased the hospitals in January 2021, filed with the Department of Health and Senior Services to voluntarily suspend the license for both hospitals effective March 25.
Under state law, the suspension is granted for a period of 90 days, according to a letter from DHSS.
This means Noble Health has until June 23 before that period closes and until June 9 to notify DHSS the hospitals are ready for review and inspection in order to reopen.
"We wish we weren't in this situation but we are doing everything we can to see that hospitals are reopened in both counties," said Amy O'Brien, CEO of Audrain County Community Hospital. "We know how hard this is on the community."
The affiliated health clinics will remain open, including Cornerstone Family Medicine, Family Medicine/Walk In Clinic, Internal Medicine Clinic, Perry Clinic, Wellsville Clinic, Montgomery Clinic, Callaway Rural Health Clinic, Orthopedic Clinic and the Women's Health Clinic.
Additional information was not available by 7 p.m. Friday.
Callaway County Presiding Commissioner Gary Jungermann said the county has not heard from Noble Health since the hospitals closed, but it had requested $6 million in American Rescue Plan funds (ARPA) for hospital expansion.
He said the ARPA committee did not approve funds for the hospital at that time due to lack of information on the project and how the funds would be used.
The county and the Callaway Chamber of Commerce received numerous phone calls on Friday from furloughed employees asking for guidance on the situation, filing for unemployment and searching for a new job, Jungermann said.
The commission wants to help figure out how to keep the hospital open in the county, he said.
"There's a good chance that if someone is looking for a job in health care that they will find one," said Dave Dillon, spokesman for the Missouri Hospital Association.
Hospitals in the region are hiring right now, he said, but people also might not want to commute from Fulton or Mexico to Columbia or Jefferson City.
Dillon said he doesn't have situational awareness of what's going on at the Callaway and Audrain Community Hospitals and hasn't for several weeks.
"I would find it hard to believe, if they are where I've been led to believe they are, that they could maintain staff very long," he said.
Jefferson City News Tribune reporter Joe Gamm contributed to this story.