Columbia Memorial Hospital is ending home health care services at the end of April after 25 years of operation, citing decreased Medicare reimbursements amid increasing costs.

The hospital serves 22 people through the program, but expects the number of affected patients to drop to 17 by the time the program closes. Patients will be notified starting today.

Providence Seaside Hospital, the only other hospital-based home health provider in Clatsop County, will incorporate those patients in its larger home health program.

“CMH has explored all options to keep this program open, however, the necessary reduction in costs to keep the program financially viable would significantly jeopardize the overall quality of service,” Erik Thorsen, the hospital’s CEO, said in a statement.

Paul Mitchell, a hospital spokesman, said home health patients are people needing post-surgery monitoring, therapy and medication management. They include people with chronic health conditions or disabilities who need continued monitoring and have trouble leaving their home, but don’t need to live in a nursing home.

“To support a seamless transition for the patients, Providence home health nurses and therapists will be going to the scheduled appointments with the CMH caregivers until the program ends,” said Mary French-Peterson, a manager for Providence Home Health Services on the North Coast.

James Arp, chief executive of Providence Home and Community Services in Oregon, said the organization’s scale allows it to more easily absorb additional patients.

Paulette McCoy, a spokeswoman for Providence Seaside, said it typically serves about 100 home health patients on the North Coast, but has had as many as 115.

Thorsen said the loss of jobs from ending the program at Columbia Memorial Hospital will be minimal because of growth at the hospital.

“We are doing our best to find positions within other CMH departments for all the impacted CMH employees,” he said.

Many of the affected employees will continue working with the hospital’s affiliate, Lower Columbia Hospice.