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Karen Flaherty-Oxler, the new director of the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, said Hahnemann is a cornerstone for health care in the city, and she's saddened to hear about plans to close the hospital.
"That being said, I would welcome the opportunity to have some of those colleagues join this important mission at Philadelphia VA," she said, which has about 2,700 employees.
Although the state issued a cease and desist order to the hospital — noting it must submit a closure plan at least 90 days in advance, which it did not do — employees are still left in limbo.
"At any point in time, we could have 200 to 300 openings, and that's just based on retirements, based on transitions," she added.
And there is a wide array of job opportunities, from nursing and clinical staff to health information specialists and environmental services.
"Their clinical skills and talent can't and should not be defined by a closure. It should be defined by what they can contribute," she said. "I absolutely would welcome with open arms qualified individuals to give us a call."
The city is also offering support for staff and residents of Hahnemann, providing resources to help them find new jobs through career fairs and Philadelphia Works. Cooper University Health Care is also offering Hahnemann residents displaced by the abrupt closure the chance to smoothly transition to the Camden hospital.