Burlington-based University of Vermont Health has begun implementing a workforce reduction affecting 199 positions.
Five things to know:
1. The system will create 55 new roles, for a net reduction of 144 roles, according to a Sept. 15 health system news release shared with Becker’s. The reductions include employees at UVM Health hospital, home health and hospice services and skilled nursing facilities.
2. The cuts aim to reduce expenses by about $16.8 million and are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen long-term sustainability, better align staffing and operations with patient needs and improve affordability for patients, the release said. UVM Health added that it must reduce expenses and improve efficiency to meet a projected $300 million in reduced revenue over the next few years.
3. More than half, 118, of the affected roles are at University of Vermont Medical Center and are related to organizational and operational changes aimed at improving efficiency amid a steady decline in daily census within the hospital.
Another 28 roles are being eliminated across UVM Health shared services through organizational restructuring and consolidation efforts, including human resources, information technology and culture, experience and community health. There are also 24 cuts at Central Vermont Medical Center. Fifteen positions at Helen Porter Rehabilitation and Nursing are affected, including seven vacant roles.
4. The reductions follow the elimination of 142 positions in June, 76 of which were permanent role eliminations while 66 will be restructured with new job descriptions.
5. Employees affected by the new cuts were notified today and will remain employed during a 45-day transition period, during which the system will provide career transition support and assistance identifying other roles within the system where possible. Employees who do not secure another position and are eligible will receive severance benefits.
“Today’s announcement is another extraordinarily difficult one, and it impacts colleagues that we value deeply,” UVM Health President and CEO Stephen Leffler, MD, said in the release. “But we have to continue taking these steps to address our financial realities — to make healthcare more affordable for our patients while continuing to provide high-quality care for the communities we serve.”
