T-L Photo/SHELLEY HANSON ERIC WALKER, left, and his brother, Brown Walker, pause while taking apart the old East Ohio Regional Hospital sign on Monday afternoon. Their company, Creation Madness of Bridgeport, is working on new signage that will be blue to match the hospital’s new logo. The lettering will be done by Ultimate Signs and Graphics of Martins Ferry. The hospital is set to host a job fair on Friday at the Martins Ferry Recreation Center.

MARTINS FERRY — It is the event many have been waiting for — a job fair for positions at East Ohio Regional Hospital.

The hospital is another step closer to reopening, with the job fair planned for Friday at the Martins Ferry Recreation Center, 401 Fourth St., Martins Ferry. According to information provided by Michael Garrison, a lawyer working with EORH, the job fair is slated from noon to 7 p.m.

“We are pleased to hold our first job fair to prepare for reopening the hospital. The response from the community has been overwhelming, and it is clear that there is just a great excitement for the reintroduction of quality community-based health care in our area. We look forward to continuing to build upon this growing momentum,” said Bernie Albertini, chief operating officer of EORH. “The hospital has already hired more than 40 employees and ultimately plans to employ an additional 250 employees as it reopens.”

The hospital is looking for people to fill positions across the facility. Albertini said positions available at the upcoming job fair include the following:

∫ Nursing Services including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, CRNAs, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, state tested nursing assistants, medical assistants which can work in ER, ICU, Med Surg/Telemetry, Skilled Nursing and Rehab, Pre-Admission Testing, Surgery;

∫ Radiology Services including nuclear medicine, ultrasound specialists and radiology techs;

∫ Laboratory Services including phlebotomists, laboratory techs and medical technicians;

∫ Therapy Services including physical therapy, occupation therapy, speech therapy, who can work in acute, skilled nursing and rehab and outpatient;

∫ Respiratory therapy/cardiopulmonary therapy;

∫ Pharmacy Services including pharmacists and pharmacy techs;

∫ Food service employees; including dietitians and chefs, housekeeping, laundry, maintenance; and

∫ Registration clerks, billing, coding, clerical and switchboard operators.

Social distancing will be observed during the job fair.

Albertini said the hospital still plans to reopen by the end of this year “and is in the final stages of preparation for doing so.”

“Prior to its reopening, EORH must finalize all regulatory approvals from state and federal regulators, as well as some final upgrades to the physical plant,” he said.

Last May, it was announced EORH had been purchased by Dayton-area psychiatrist Dr. John Johnson. The purchase came after months of speculation in the community about whether the facility would ever reopen after it was shuttered in September 2019 by its former owner, Alecto Healthcare Services of California.

Alecto also owned and closed Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling. OVMC has since been purchased by the city of Wheeling, which is in the process of possibly reselling portions of the building and its equipment.

According to information provided by Garrison, Johnson owns and operates other primary care centers, substance abuse and residential treatment facilities, and telemedicine and health care technology enterprises.

“Over the last 35 years, Dr. John Johnson has started, acquired and grown a variety of healthcare organizations that he continues to own and operate; including one of Ohio’s largest independent behavioral health centers, Access Ohio, and a 110-bed in-patient psychiatric hospital, Access Hospital outside Dayton, Ohio. The Ohio-based operator is committed to returning localized and personal medical care to the residents of Belmont County and the surrounding communities,” a release from Garrison notes.