Catskill Regional Medical Center slashed 72 jobs yesterday, calling longtime employees to the hospital and sending them packing before lunchtime.

The layoffs, which primarily are middle- and upper-management positions that don’t involve patient care, had been anticipated for about a week as the hospital struggles to right its financial ship.

In a three-paragraph news release, board Chairwoman Joyce Salimeno called the layoffs a “right sizing,” and said no more job cuts were planned.

“Hospital management with the assistance of Navigant Consulting has determined that CRMC is overstaffed and accordingly will result in the immediate reduction of current staff by 72 people with no further reductions anticipated,” the statement read.

In the past, hospital executives have said some service cuts were likely, too, but there was no word on that yesterday.

Some close to the hospital were outraged by the way the layoffs were handled.

“This was a hatchet job,” said David Schwalb, a contract doctor with Catskill’s Liberty Medical Group.

The hospital fired three secretaries and one licensed practical nurse from that office, half its staff, Schwalb said. Around 9 a.m., the employees were summoned to the hospital in Harris, fired, then asked if they wanted to speak with a therapist.

Later they were told to return to the Liberty clinic to retrieve their things. One of those employees has been with the hospital for 15 years.

“We were not asked about these positions,” Schwalb said. “Our office staff was decimated. All of these people were involved in patient care. It is a very, very horrible day for us here.”

No union nurses were laid off, according to the release.

Fired employees met with Sullivan County’s Workforce Development, and a job fair has been scheduled for Dec. 1 at Sullivan County Community College.

“It’s a really tough day, a really tough day,” the hospital’s director of human resources said, while standing by the elevator on the fourth floor. She declined to make any other comment.

Catskill, which is Sullivan County’s only hospital and one of its biggest employers with about 1,000 workers, has been deep in the hole since Crystal Run Healthcare pulled dozens of doctors in June.

It’s projecting a loss of at least $7 million as a result and has large debt payments due.

In September, CEO Art Brien quit, and Catskill hired Navigant Consulting to help plot a turnaround. Last week, as word of impending layoffs spread, acting CEO Lawrence Cafasso was forced out.

Since then, aside from the statement announcing layoffs, hospital officials have refused to discuss turnaround plans.

ROL