OTTAWA — The Victorian Order of Nurses is shutting down its operations in six provinces and cutting the size of its head office.
The non-profit organization says it will close programs in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.
It has filed for protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act.
The Ottawa-based organization says in a news release on Wednesday that its head office will shrink by 23 per cent.
In total, it says 352 of 6,446 employees are affected by the restructuring.
VON's operations in Ontario and Nova Scotia, its two main service areas, are not included in the restructuring of its operations and will remain intact.
The organization says it has been a challenge for it to keep up with a growing number of clients with the resources it has.
"We have had to make some hard choices about where we are able to make a difference in the lives of the greatest number of people," Jo-Anne Poirier, VON's president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.
"We are closing our smaller operations in six provinces and streamlining our head office to free up capacity to respond to opportunities in Ontario and Nova Scotia, where we believe we have the best opportunities for sustainability and growth."
VON was established in 1897 and provides home nursing, corporate health and home support services across the country.
"This has been a very difficult decision," said Poirier. "We regret the impact these changes will have on affected clients and staff, and supporting them as we move through this process is our first priority."
