Bristol (Conn.) Health has shared plans to cut 60 positions amid “negative headwinds and harsh realities” affecting hospitals and systems across the U.S.
The news comes after the hospital system also cut 60 positions in March 2024 due to ongoing financial challenges.
Kurt Barwis, president and CEO of Bristol Hospital and Healthcare Group, said in an April 9 news release shared with Becker’s that, following the system’s $21.8 million loss in fiscal 2023, the system saw a positive operating margin for the five months ended February 2025.
Despite these improvements, Mr. Barwis pointed to Medicaid Advantage abuse, Connecticut’s underinvestment in its Medicaid program, the termination of state grants and proposed federal cuts to Medicaid among the reasons for the job cuts.
“For Bristol Health, the need to rebuild our balance sheet reserves faster unfortunately means that we must implement additional corrective actions, which collectively improve our operating run rate by $14,082,128 on an annual basis,” Mr. Barwis said in the release.
The 60 job cuts will result in $3.2 million in savings for the system. They do not include reductions in core service areas and will not affect service quality or safety, the release said.
“The decisions related to labor were extremely difficult and painful to make,” Mr. Barwis said. “They were made after careful consideration of alternatives and with the best interest of our patients and the community we serve.”
