Four health systems are making targeted workforce reductions affecting IT and coding roles as organizations look to streamline operations and manage costs.
Here are the health systems and hospitals making these cuts in 2026, as reported by Becker’s:
Editor’s note: This article was updated May 4 and will continue to be updated with the latest news.
April:
Lewiston, Maine-based Central Maine Healthcare is planning to lay off 38 IT workers as a result of implementing an Epic EHR system. According to a hospital spokesperson, the reductions are tied to the retirement of legacy systems and overlapping roles. No patient care positions were affected.
West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health is eliminating 207 IT roles as the health system moves some IT and revenue cycle functions to third-party vendors. The changes affects less than 1% of UnityPoint Health’s 31,000-member workforce.
February:
Northwell Health is reducing its IT workforce by less than 4%, according to a spokesperson for the New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based system. The cuts represent fewer than 0.1% of the organization’s total workforce.
Northwell said the move is part of broader efforts to manage resources and pace certain investments amid current economic and policy pressures while continuing to invest in growth areas such as behavioral health and community-based care.
March:
In New York’s North Country region, Rochester (N.Y.) Regional Health is eliminating coding positions as part of what it described as a “targeted operational change” to align administrative functions across the system. According to Service Employees International Union Local 1199, 22 union members across Canton-Potsdam and Gouverneur hospitals are expected to be affected, with layoffs scheduled for early April.
Rochester Regional said the changes follow prior technology and workflow updates designed to reduce duplication while maintaining compliance and access to care. The decision has drawn pushback from union members and community supporters, with more than 1,000 people signing a petition urging leadership to reconsider the layoffs and plans to outsource the work.
Both moves reflect how health systems are reassessing administrative and technology-related functions as they navigate financial pressures and operational changes.
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