Orange, Calif.-based UCI Health has reversed course on seven quality improvement specialists laid off in March as part of a systemwide restructuring, the Orange County Register reported April 9.
The University and Professional and Technical Employees-Communications Workers of America said the system rescinded the layoffs and apologized for the “oversight.”
“We are glad UCI restored our workers to their positions,” the union said in a statement shared with Becker’s. “However, there is more work to do.”
UPTE also noted that other affected employees — including workers represented by the California Nurses Association and AFSCME Local 3299 — have not had layoffs reversed and continue to raise concerns about the restructuring. Some layoffs affected staff at UCI Health’s Fountain Valley hospital, one of four Southern California hospitals the system acquired from Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare in 2024, according to the Los Angeles Times.
UCI Health said the changes are part of a broader effort to transition certain specialist roles to system-level positions that support multiple sites.
“As part of UCI Health’s systemwide restructuring, specific specialist positions at individual hospital locations were transitioned to system-level roles designed to support and serve multiple sites across our network,” the system said in a statement shared with Becker’s. “Affected specialists were given the opportunity to be considered for the newly created system-level positions.”
UCI Health laid off about 150 workers — roughly 1% of its workforce — in March amid financial pressures and organizational changes. The layoffs affected a mix of administrative, support and operational roles, though the system did not disclose a full breakdown at the time.
UCI Health is a 1,461-bed academic health system and the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine, with hospitals and outpatient facilities across Orange and Los Angeles counties.
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