Last week, the Lower Bucks Hospital's management sat down with roughly 30 hospital employees, who were informed that their jobs had essentially been eliminated.

Peter Adamo, the hospital's regional chief executive officer, told Patch that 10 of those employees will probably move into new roles within the hospital and that 20 "may or may not have employment with us on an ongoing basis."

These layoffs were made, Adamo said, in an "effort to rebase the hospital's cost structure" in order for Lower Bucks Hospital to "become a hospital is profitable in the long run."

Lower Bucks Hospital, which Adamo said has approximately 750 people on its payroll, was purchased by Prime Healthcare Services in the beginning of October. 

"This just completed acquisition, along with the earlier one of Roxborough Memorial Hospital, will allow Prime Healthcare to continue following its mission of saving hospitals, saving jobs and saving lives in the state of Pennsylvania," said Prem Reddy, MD, FACC, FCCP, Chairman, President and CEO of Prime Healthcare Services.

Prime Healthcare stated that it would maintain all services, including the emergency department, invest at least $10 million for needed capital improvements, and hire all employees and maintain all collective bargaining agreements in an earlier press release. In addition, Prime Healthcare promised to form a local governing board, consisting of medical staff and community leaders, assume all healthcare contracts and liabilities and provide the same level of charity care for indigent and low-income patients.

"Lower Bucks Hospital is a vital healthcare provider in this community," said Albert Mezzaroba, President and CEO of Lower Bucks Hospital. "With the experience that Prime Healthcare brings, as one of the Top 15 Health Systems in the nation, the hospital will continue its mission of delivering high quality healthcare in a cost effective manner."