Hospital administrators said the move is to combat the loss of more than $1 million between July 2009 and March 2010. They said the hospital has been hit hard by the recession and has had a decline in patients so far this year.

Officials said the cutbacks are part of a recovery plan to get the hospital back on its feet. They said three out of the four jobs cut were management positions. Administrators said they're also cutting the hours for 22 employees, taking extra steps to control costs and review their procedures to make sure they're working as well as they should.

In a statement, Chief Executive Officer David J. McConnell said, "We deeply regret the hardships our employees and their families will face because of this decision, but these changes are necessary to allow the hospital to operate efficiently while preserving its mission of providing quality care."

Residents said the layoffs are a sign that the recession is far from over.

"I know so many guys who aren't working anymore. They've worked for years and they're not working anymore and that certainly doesn't help anything," said Bill Brady, of Clearfield County.

Other county residents said it's important for the hospital to stay strong because it's still one of the community's biggest employers.

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