Hospitals and health systems are still aiming most second-half 2026 job cuts at leadership, administrative and back-office roles, though clinical positions appear in about a quarter of the reductions Becker’s has tracked since July.
Becker’s analyzed 31 workforce reductions announced from July through mid-October and sorted them by the roles systems disclosed.
According to the systems, 12 of the 31 reductions involved only leadership, administrative, IT or other support roles. Eight named clinical roles, all of them alongside leadership or nonclinical cuts. The remaining 11 did not specify whether clinical roles were affected.
Here’s a closer look:
Leadership and support roles absorb most cuts
Several of the largest second-half reductions were framed as efforts to thin management layers or consolidate support functions. Some systems said explicitly that bedside roles were not affected.
In July, Marietta, Ga.-based Wellstar Health System cut 761 positions, about 2% of its workforce, across corporate, shared services and certain administrative roles. A spokesperson said the system is “recalibrating our leadership structure to reduce administrative layers” and that the cuts do not affect front-line care team roles.
Walnut Creek, Calif.-based John Muir Health said in September that its 75 layoffs mainly affect leadership positions, administrative services employees and roles that do not provide direct patient care. Providence, R.I.-based Brown University Health eliminated or consolidated 10 senior leadership positions in October. It also offered a voluntary separation program to about 200 supervisors, managers and directors who are 60 or older with at least five years of service.
IT outsourcing and consolidation also drove a significant share of the nonclinical cuts, including at Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health and Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth, the latter of which will eliminate 150 positions in Washington as it transitions several IT services to Tech Mahindra and The HCI Group.
Where clinicians are affected
Four of the eight reductions that named clinical roles were tied to closing a facility, clinics or a program:
- Mechanicsburg, Pa.-based Select Medical shared plans in July to cut 99 jobs in August at its Tucson (Ariz.) East facility, a 28-bed critical illness recovery hospital on the Tucson Medical Center campus. The cuts include 24 registered nurses, 18 patient care technicians and 18 respiratory therapists, as well as leadership roles including the CEO and chief nursing officer.
- Cincinnati-based UC Health is eliminating 49 positions as it plans to close Bridgeway Pointe, an assisted living facility also in Cincinnati, Oct. 31. The cuts include 24 state-tested nursing assistants and 20 licensed practical nurses.
- Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System shared plans to eliminate about 138 positions in September. Of those, 83 are tied to the closure of multiple clinics in Spokane, Wash., and the rest affect leadership and support services roles.
- Rockledge, Fla.-based Health First said in September that it is laying off 214 employees, primarily in administrative, management and clerical support roles. Some clinical positions are affected as the system ends its hospital-at-home program and other services.
The other four named clinical roles in cuts not tied to a closure: Montrose (Colo.) Regional Health, San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare, West Reading, Pa.-based Tower Health and Lane Regional Medical Center in Zachary, La.
HR 1 enters the conversation
Three systems on the second-half list cited HR 1 by name:
- Sharp HealthCare pointed to the ongoing effects of HR 1 and unfunded state mandates.
- MultiCare Health System cited federal policy changes like HR 1 and estimated about $1.5 billion in reduced funding from 2026 to 2034, including a $76 million annual Medicaid reduction starting in October 2027.
- John Muir Health cited HR 1 cuts alongside Medicare and Medi-Cal payments below cost and seismic investments.
Other systems, including Brown University Health, Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, Portland, Maine-based MaineHealth, and Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health, pointed more generally to federal policy changes or declining federal reimbursement.
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