SALEM — Salem Regional Medical Center quashed a rumor of a buyout Thursday in a prepared statement, but also announced a workforce reduction equal to 26 full-time positions — mostly through attrition, but 10 by elimination.

“SRMC is not being bought out by University Hospitals (UH) or any other organization. Last fall, our board chose to bring world class cancer care to our region through a strategic partnership with the UH Seidman Cancer Center to provide medical oncology and radiation therapy to benefit our area’s cancer patients. This means that we affiliated with the UH Seidman Cancer Center as one of the nation’s top cancer providers to offer local access to advanced cancer care. We remain committed to continuing to serve our patients as an independent, non-profit, community hospital,” the statement from Dr. Anita A. Hackstedde, Salem Regional Medical Center president and CEO, said.

The hospital’s maternity ward closed a week ago, ending a longtime tradition of births at the facility, and the Salem Women’s Health Partners for gynecology and obstetrics will close June 30.

The hospital employs nearly 1,000 workers.