River Hospital's Board of Trustees has voted to close the nursing facility within the hospital.

If the state agrees, Wednesday's vote means the loss of 44 jobs. It also means 27 families will have to find another home for their loved ones.

Ben Moore III, the hospital's chief executive officer, said the program operates at a $300,000 loss, a loss the rest of the hospital cannot continue to bear.

Moore said the hospital board has spent months looking at alternatives, from seeking higher Medicaid rates from the state to community fund-raising.

"The amount of money that we would need to sustain it was far in excess of what we thought we could ask the community to do," Moore told 7 News.

The state Department of Health must approve the closing, a decision that could take months. It's also possible the Department of Health will not allow the hospital to close the nursing facility.

In the meantime, Moore said the hospital's staff will help families find other nursing facilities.

The decision has divided supporters of River Hospital.

Nellie Taylor, who was a key figure in the revival of the hospital several years ago, resigned from the hospital board because of the decision.

Taylor told 7 News she believes the hospital hasn't exhausted all its options.

"I don't believe we've done everything we can. We need to try harder," she said.

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