Staffing levels are among the items under review as the new owner of the former St. Francis hospitals looks at ways to restructure the facilities as profitable operations.

Owner Hawaii Medical Center LLC "is examining every aspect of hospital operations, including technology, facilities and staffing, to determine how best to serve the goals of sustainability and excellence of care," said the company in a statement.

"Any decision to reshape the workforce to meet these goals would be first communicated to affected employees and/or their collective bargaining agents."

Hawaii Medical Center completed its acquisition of the two money-losing hospitals earlier this month with plans to renovate and upgrade the facilities while restructuring them for profitability. Hawaii Medical Center is made up of Wichita, Kan.-based CHA LLC and Hawaii Physician Group LLC, a group of more than 130 local doctors. With the purchase, the former St. Francis Medical Centers in Liliha and 'Ewa became the only for-profit and physician-owned hospitals in the state.

A Hawaii Medical Center spokesman declined to say what staffing changes will occur and if they will include the dismissal of some of the roughly 1,500 employees.

The company in September said it expected to retain the hospitals' workers. At the time of the sale closing, it said the number of nurses would be gradually increased and that the management team would be retained.

Hawaii Medical Center has talked about improving efficiencies at the hospitals by cutting waste and said that it wanted to invest at least $32 million in hospital and equipment upgrades over the next five years.

The 240-bed Liliha hospital has been renamed Hawaii Medical Center East. The 102-bed 'Ewa location is now known as Hawaii Medical Center West.