Kindred Hospital to close in Hammond

HAMMOND, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Kentucky-based Kindred Healthcare is planning to close its location in Hammond. In a notice to the state, the company says Kindred Hospital Northwest Indiana will shut its doors and lay off 110 employees as a result of the planned building reduction at the Franciscan Health Hammond campus.

Kindred says, as part of the $45 million project by Franciscan, the space occupied by Kindred will be eliminated. In May, Franciscan detailed plans to convert the 100-year-old facility, which currently has more than 200 beds, into an eight-bed acute care hospital, emergency department and primary care location.

The layoffs at Kindred are expected to take place over a two-week period beginning October 10. The company says the move is expected to be permanent and none of the employees are represented by a union.

In June, Franciscan Alliance said more than 80 employees at the Hammond hospital would be laid off, though some may be moved to new positions. It is unclear if the Kindred employees will be offered new positions elsewhere.