CHG Healthcare is closing its travel nurse division, RNnetwork. The move was announced Sept. 10, and CHG said it will work to support providers and clients through March 2025 when RNnetwork officially shuts down.

The company said the closure of RNnetwork will enable it to strengthen its focus on locum tenens and allied professional staffing as well as healthcare technology. CHG ranks as the fourth-largest healthcare staffing firm in the US overall, according to SIA research. It ranks as the No. 1 largest locum tenens staffing provider based on revenue but it ranked 17^th largest in travel nurse revenue.

News of RNnetwork’s closure comes as US travel nurse revenue is forecast to fall by 30% this year after a decline of 36% in 2023. Travel nurse revenue had surged during the pandemic, rising by 162% in 2021 alone.

CHG said it has found new positions for nearly 100 RNnetwork employees. However, approximately 115 people will be laid off.

“We wish we could keep everyone at RNnetwork employed with the company,” Leslie Snavely, CEO of CHG Healthcare, said in a press release. “During this difficult time, we are doing everything we can to help our team members land on their feet — from severance pay, to insurance coverage, to job placement services. We wish our people success as they move to the next phase of their careers.”

CHG acquired RNnetwork in 1998 and the company said it has placed tens of thousands of nurses and providers since.

An announcement on RNnetwork’s website said recruiters are reaching out to nurses and providers with details on how the company will support them.

“While it is difficult to close RNnetwork, we are confident it’s the right decision as we help our healthcare clients and support our physicians and allied professionals through every stage of their career,” Snavely said. “We’re accelerating the growth of our core business and continuing to invest in the people, technology, and tools that make it easier for our providers and clients to care for patients.”