Health service firm with office in Worcester ending Mass. operations

Pathways by Molina, a behavioral health services business, is pulling out of Massachusetts and laying off 162 workers.

The business, which has offices in Worcester and Springfield, said Tuesday it will transition clients to other agencies and work to find jobs for its employees.

"This was a difficult but necessary decision that will improve Pathways' operational effectiveness and allow the company to continue offering high-quality behavioral health services to clients across the country," the company said in an emailed statement.

The company did not disclose how many patients will be impacted. In a filing with the the state, Pathways said it expects to shutter operations March 6 and lay off 56 workers in Worcester and 106 workers in Springfield.

Pathways is a subsidiary of Molina Healthcare Inc. of Long Beach, California, a publicly traded health insurer with plans for people on government assistance such as Medicaid. Molina lost $97 million during the third quarter ended Sept. 30 and recently brought in former Hanover Insurance Group Inc. chief executive officer Joseph Zubretsky to lead the company.

Under state regulations, Pathways must also notify the state Department of Public Health when it intends to close its two licensed clinics. The DPH said yesterday it had not received notification from Pathways.