The hospitals, health systems cutting jobs in 2026

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A number of hospitals and health systems are reducing their workforces amid ongoing financial strain. Executives have cited a mix of factors — including lower reimbursement, rising labor and supply costs, and the need to realign operations — as drivers of these decisions. For many organizations, the moves are part of broader efforts to stabilize finances and preserve long-term sustainability.

Below are job eliminations announced in 2026.

Editor’s note: This webpage was created Jan. 23 and will be continually updated.

July

1. Portland, Maine-based MaineHealth is eliminating 56 IT positions and consolidating three analytics teams into one, a net reduction of 27 roles, for a total of 83 eliminated positions. The health system, which operates nine hospitals and employs about 24,000 people, attributed the redesign to shifting federal healthcare policy, reimbursement changes and advancing technology.

2. Tower Health is eliminating 160 positions at its Pottstown (Pa.) Hospital as part of a multimillion-dollar plan to expand the emergency department, enhance behavioral health services and update the facility. Once renovations are complete, Tower Health plans to add 38 new positions, bringing the net reduction to about 120.

3. Marietta, Ga.-based Wellstar Health System eliminated 761 roles, about 2% of its more than 35,000-employee workforce, effective July 28, affecting corporate, shared services and certain administrative positions while sparing front-line care team roles. The cuts are aimed at simplifying the system’s structure and moving decision-making closer to patient care, the health system said.  

4. Pratt (Kan.) Regional Medical Center President and CEO Tammy Smith resigned as the hospital prepares a “significant workforce reduction” amid broader financial stabilization efforts. Ms. Smith, who led the hospital for four years and worked there more than 12, will stay on for up to two months to ensure a smooth leadership transition, according to a news release from Pratt County officials.

5. Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health is eliminating 31 revenue cycle positions to prevent redundancy, a health system spokesperson confirmed July 22. The cuts are part of ongoing efforts to modernize revenue cycle operations and evaluate organizational structure and staffing needs. Novant Health employs more than 43,000 people across more than 900 locations in North Carolina and South Carolina, including 21 hospitals.

6. Select Medical is cutting 99 jobs at its Tucson East facility, a 28-bed critical illness recovery hospital located on the Tucson Medical Center campus. The layoffs were disclosed in regulatory documents filed July 9.

7. Memphis, Tenn.-based Regional One Health shared plans to close its 30-bed Regional One Extended Care Hospital on Sept. 1 and lay off 103 employees. The health system said the closure is intended to optimize resources and enhance patient care across the system. 

8. Dignity Health shared plans to lay off 139 employees across Bakersfield (Calif.) Memorial Hospital and California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles, with the job cuts taking effect Aug. 3. The health system said the move is part of an effort to realign resources and enhance operational efficiencies amid ongoing financial pressures. 

9. Fayetteville, N.C.-based Cape Fear Valley Health is eliminating about 200 positions, including 138 that are currently filled. The cuts come as the system faces declining federal reimbursements and rising costs of delivering care. The system said it is supporting affected employees through priority placement in other roles and separation packages for eligible employees. Cape Fear employs more than 9,000 people.

10. Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health laid off 132 employees as it centralized quality, risk management, infection prevention and accreditation functions across its California operations. The health system said 109 affected workers have already been offered other roles within the organization. 

11. West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Ill., shared plans to permanently lay off furloughed employees effective Aug. 31 after closing in June. The hospital previously furloughed about 670 employees when it paused operations in March, but it has not disclosed how many workers will be affected by the permanent layoffs.  

June

12. Springfield, Mass.-based Baystate Health laid off an undisclosed number of employees as part of an effort to reduce administrative layers and address a $60 million budget shortfall. The health system said it continues to recruit front-line clinical staff.

13. Columbia, Mo.-based MU Health Care reduced its workforce by 74 employees as part of an organizational redesign aimed at strengthening long-term financial sustainability. The cuts were primarily in nonclinical and administrative areas, and the health system will also close its four Hy-Vee Quick Care clinics Aug. 1.

14. Springfield, Mo.-based CoxHealth is eliminating 53 revenue cycle roles. The cuts affect about 0.38% of the health system’s workforce, and many employees impacted by the layoffs will transition to new positions within CoxHealth.

15. Amarillo, Texas-based BSA Health System laid off 29 employees, representing about 1% of its local workforce. The cuts primarily affected administrative and support roles.

16. Albuquerque, N.M.-based Lovelace Health System shared plans to eliminate 43 positions, or about 1.6% of its local workforce. The cuts are primarily in administrative and support roles and come as Lovelace faces rising costs and shifting payer dynamics.

17. Pittsburgh-based UPMC shared plans to lay off approximately 200 employees and eliminate an additional 300 vacant positions. The reductions primarily affect workers who are not in clinical or member-facing roles. 

18. Burlington-based University of Vermont Health eliminated 76 positions and restructured 66 others as it works to address a projected financial gap of more than $300 million over the next three years. Most reductions affect non-patient-facing roles, though some clinical positions were also impacted.

19. Albuquerque, N.M.-based Presbyterian Healthcare Services shared plans to lay off about 150 employees as it exits most Medicare Advantage plans in 2027. The cuts affect health plan and administrative positions only. 

20. Little Rock, Ark.-based Baptist Health shared plans to eliminate approximately 70 positions in the Fort Smith area. The 11-hospital system said the cuts are driven by sustained declines in service volumes and the duplication of certain roles. 

21. Lynchburg, Va.-based Centra Health shared plans to lay off about 90 employees as part of a restructuring effort. The reduction affects about 1% of the regional nonprofit health system’s workforce and primarily impacts administrative and management areas.

May

22. Providence, R.I.-based Care New England laid off more than 30 leadership and nonclinical roles systemwide due to restructuring and financial pressures. The health system employs more than 8,000 people, according to its website.

23. Philadelphia-based St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children laid off 30 employees May 19, representing less than 2% of its 1,868-person workforce. The layoffs affected clinical and administrative roles.  

24. Renton, Wash.-based Providence is updating the care model for behavioral health services at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Wash., a move that will affect about 40 positions. The changes will take effect July 14. 

25. San Antonio-based Laurel Ridge Treatment Center, a 330-bed behavioral health facility owned by King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services, will lay off approximately 648 employees. The layoffs are expected to take effect June 26, weeks after CMS terminated the facility’s Medicare provider agreement April 30. 

26. Medford, Ore.-based Asante is planning job cuts as it reports operating losses and warns of a potential $50 million budget shortfall by 2027. The system expects to eliminate 300 or more roles in the coming months — about 5% to 6% of its workforce — primarily in nonclinical areas, though some clinical positions may also be affected.  

27. Leominster, Mass.-based UMass Memorial Health-Community Healthlink, a nonprofit behavioral health provider affiliated with Worcester, Mass.-based UMass Memorial Health, shared plans to lay off 78 employees effective June 30, citing workforce shortages, inconsistent referrals and declining demand. The organization has since increased planned layoffs to 231 positions, effective Sept. 16, and plans to permanently close all programs and cease operations.

28. Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare laid off a “small portion” of its workforce, according to a May 4 statement shared with Becker’s. The cuts affected employees in non-direct patient care roles as the for-profit hospital operator said it continues hiring for clinical and other positions supporting patient care. 

April

29. Little Rock, Ark.-based Baptist Health will restructure its Fort Smith campus over the next 60 days and discontinue several inpatient services, President and CEO Troy Well said April 29. The transition affects approximately 150 employees, including 10 physicians. The system is working with affected employees to offer 60 days of paid severance, career transition support and opportunities for reassignment within the system.

30. Burlington, Vt.-based University of Vermont Health eliminated nine roles April 14 at Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone, N.Y., and Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh, N.Y. The layoffs affected two employees at Alice Hyde and seven at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital. It comes as the system navigates rising costs and policy changes while maintaining access to care in rural communities.

31. Portland, Ore.-based Oregon Health & Science University laid off 59 employees at its Knight Cancer Institute across multiple research projects. The layoffs affected 30 employees at the Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center and 12 at the Serial Measurements of Molecular and Architectural Responses to Therapy project. An additional 17 positions were eliminated in other areas due to a lack of independent research funding.

32. Greenwood (Miss.) Leflore Hospital filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection April 15 as it faces a potential closure or acquisition by a larger health system. The filing comes after the hospital shared plans to lay off 86 employees — about 17% of its workforce — and eliminate several service lines. The layoffs include 46 full-time and 40 part-time employees, and a WARN notice indicates the hospital could close as soon as June 15 if its finances are not stabilized. 

33. Advanced Specialty Hospitals of Toledo (Ohio), a long-term acute care hospital, shared plans to close May 1, affecting all 116 employees. Affected roles include a director of nursing, 45 registered nurses, a therapy manager, four pharmacy technicians, a human resources manager, a physical therapist and four speech-language pathologists. 

34. Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, the insurance arm of Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health, plans to eliminate 321 jobs as it exits the Texas Medicaid managed care market and phases out individual marketplace plans. Affected employees will have priority access to other roles within the organization.

35. West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health is transitioning some IT and revenue cycle functions to third-party vendors, including eliminating 207 IT roles. The changes affect less than 1% of UnityPoint Health’s 31,000-member workforce.

March

36. Orange, Calif.-based UCI Health laid off about 150 workers, roughly 1% of its workforce, as part of a “strategic restructuring” amid widespread financial pressures, though it has since reversed layoffs for seven quality improvement specialists. Affected roles include administrative, support and operational functions across the organization. 

37. Magnolia (Ark.) Regional Medical Center laid off staff as part of a broader restructuring effort, citing rising costs and reimbursement pressures. The reduction in force occurred March 3 and affected approximately 20 employees, primarily in clinical roles such as licensed practical nurses, Karen Weido, senior director of marketing, medical staff services and plant operations, told Becker’s. Executives were not affected.

38. Rochester (N.Y.) Regional Health said it is making a “targeted operational change” to reduce duplication while maintaining consistency, compliance and access to care. The move includes layoffs affecting coding staff, according to SEIU United Health Workers East.

February

39. Springfield, Mass.-based Baystate Health is eliminating 117 corporate positions — less than 1% of the five-hospital system’s workforce. Affected employees have been notified and provided with support resources.

40. Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth shared plans to lay off 94 employees in Washington state, including nurses and other clinical staff. The cuts, representing 1% of the health system’s workforce, will affect roles at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham and United General Medical Center in Sedro-Woolley, Wash.

41. New York City-based One Brooklyn Health cut more than 50 roles, including leadership and nonclinical administrative positions. It is part of a broader realignment aimed at ensuring long-term financial sustainability at the safety-net system, which includes two hospitals. No core clinical services or essential community-based programs were cut, the system said.

January

42. Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, N.Y., is laying off about 3% of its workforce and requiring unpaid, one-week furloughs for nonunion employees in 2026, citing inflation, reimbursement shortfalls and other financial challenges. The reduction affects approximately 150 of the hospital’s 4,125 employees, a spokesperson told Becker’s. Affected roles are primarily in nonclinical areas.

43. Greenville, N.C.-based ECU Health shared plans to eliminate 31 positions, effective March 31. The reduction is tied to the end of government funding for North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilots program, a system spokesperson confirmed to Becker’s. The affected roles support HOP through the nonprofit Access East and ECU Health.

44. Driggs, Idaho-based Teton Valley Health Care laid off 26 employees — about 10% of its 276-person workforce — and plans to close its infusion clinic due to financial pressure. The layoffs affected staff across departments, including management, Nancy Osmundson, chief public relations officer and foundation executive director, told Becker’s.

45. Minneapolis-based Hennepin Healthcare is making service line changes that will eliminate about 100 positions, citing efforts to stabilize finances and preserve core clinical services. The health system said Jan. 26 it will close or integrate several standalone clinics and services. The cuts come as the system seeks at least $50 million in savings during the first quarter of 2026.

46. Pomona (Calif.) Valley Hospital Medical Center shared plans to eliminate 265 positions amid significant state and federal funding cuts. The 427-bed nonprofit community medical center said the cuts affect management, clinical and nonclinical roles, including seven registered nurses. 

47. Ogdensburg, N.Y.-based North Star Health Alliance shared plans to eliminate more than 100 positions across its clinical, nonclinical and management teams in January. The health system has since continued restructuring efforts, including securing up to $15 million in state support and selecting a financial advisory firm to guide its bankruptcy process.  

48. Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health shared plans to transition certain nonpatient-facing revenue cycle functions to an external partner, resulting in a 10.5% reduction in positions across the department, the health system confirmed in a statement shared with Becker’s. The health system, which has about 133,000 employees across 25 states, declined to provide further details, including how many employees will be affected.

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