Rochester (N.Y.) Regional Health said it is “making a targeted operational change,” which “allows us to reduce duplication while maintaining consistency, compliance and access to care,” according to a statement shared with Becker’s.
The “change” also entails a number of coding staff layoffs, according to Service Employees International Union Local 1199, SEIU United Health Workers East. The union said hospital management gave staff a 30-day notice of the layoffs occurring April 2, a union spokesperson told Becker’s.
The union further said it is aware of 21 union members at Canton-Potsdam (N.Y.) Hospital and one at Gouverneur (N.Y.) Hospital who will be affected.
A health system spokesperson told Becker’s the the changes are “part of our ongoing work to align administrative functions across our system and ensure long-term sustainability.”
“This change completes a transition that began with prior technology and workflow updates and allows us to reduce duplication while maintaining consistency, compliance and access to care,” the spokesperson said. “The St. Lawrence region remains operationally stable and deeply committed to serving the North Country community.
“We recognize the impact this has on affected team members and are committed to supporting them through this transition.”
More than 1,000 employees and community members have signed a SEIU-sponsored petition asking hospital leadership and the board of trustees to reconsider the decision to lay off coding staff and outsource the work.
The petition says the affected hospitals operate in a complex financial environment.
“Accurate billing and coding are not just administrative tasks — they are critical to maintaining revenue, compliance and patient trust,” the petition said. “Local staff understand our physicians, our patient population and the unique challenges of serving this community. That knowledge cannot be easily replaced.”
The petition also argues outsourcing the work could disrupt revenue flow.
“We have seen other nearby hospitals make similar decisions in recent years, only to face serious financial instability afterward. While many factors affect hospital finances, transitions like this can create risks that rural systems may struggle to absorb.”
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