By Chelsea Conaboy Globe Staff

Charles Winokoor of the Taunton Daily Gazette reports that Steward Health Care is eliminating its home care division at Morton Hospital in Taunton, the only such division in the state’s second largest hospital system.

Steward spokesman Chris Murphy did not say how many people would be laid off as a result.

“As a hospital-based service, Morton Homecare does not have the ability to operate under a community-based model,” Murphy said in a statement to the paper.

Winokoor writes:

Murphy said patients who have been served by the hospital’s homecare unit are being provided with a list of local community-based, home care agencies “to assure a seamless transition of care for our patients.”

Speaking by phone, Murphy equated Morton’s homecare service to that of a visiting nurse’s group. He emphasized that patients in that scenario typically require “shorter-term” care.