Area hospital axes 61 jobs

The hospital in Toccoa, Georgia moved yesterday to eliminate 61 positions and implement an additional hiring freeze.  The actions reflect the plight of small, independent hospitals in the 21st century climate of health care. Lynn Anderson, administrator for Stephens County Hospital, says of the 61 positions, 34 are actual employees who will lose jobs.  Twenty-seven are vacant jobs that have not been filled since May.  The hospital is only of only two hospitals within a 55-mile radius that is not affiliated with or part of a larger healthcare system.