13 Recent Hospital Layoffs

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The following hospital and/or health system layoffs were announced within the past month. They are ranked by the number of employees affected.  

1. Jackson Health System in Miami announced it would lay off 1,000 employees, including clinical staff. The layoffs are the result of the system's attempt to save $69 million annually. Even though Jackson will add up to 350 part-time employees for flexible staffing, the system will still have 10 percent fewer employees than it did last summer.

2. UMass Memorial Health Care, based in Worcester, Mass., informed employees early last month of plans to cut 700-900 positions — or 6 percent of its workforce. The reductions will be made through a combination of layoffs at its flagship hospital, UMass Memorial Medical Center, and by selling divisions that provide health services.

3. Up to 400 employees could lose their jobs from Louisiana State University's hospital system. The system is trying to reduce a $29 million budget gap by reducing services, decreasing patient capacity and closing clinics. In total, 600 of the system's 7,200 employees could be affected.

4. Waterbury (Conn.) Hospital is laying off 75 employees — or 5 percent of its workforce — due to a fiscal year ending with a loss of roughly $10 million. The reduction includes 22 management positions along with educators, clerical and support staff and union and non-union employees. In total, Waterbury expects to save roughly $4.4 million through the layoffs.

5. McLeod Loris (S.C.) Healthcare announced plans to lay off 48 workers as part of a restructuring and financial pressure. The system said it anticipates adding more employees on if economic conditions improve.

6. Tift Regional Medical Center in Tifton, Ga., announced plans to lay off a total of 40 clinical and non-clinical employees from its 1,700-member staff. The hospital is trying to trim $14 million from its annual expenses.

7. Erlanger at Hutcheson Medical Center in Ft. Oglethorpe, Ga., will reduce its 825-member workforce by no more than 40 — or less than five percent — by May. The hospital has lost millions over the last year, averaging a loss of roughly $1 million each month, and management is trying to reach a more appropriate bed-size for the hospital's finances.

8. New Haven, Conn.-based Cornell Scott Hill Health Center laid off 25 employees, with a majority coming from administrative positions. The layoffs are expected to save $1.5 million this year.  

9. Bluefield (W. Va.) Regional Medical Center laid off 22 non-clinical employees in its third round of layoffs. In 2011, the hospital eliminated 32 non-clinical positions.

10. McDuffie Regional Medical Center in Thomson, Ga., laid off 21 employees, or roughly 10 percent of its workforce. The cuts, which are the first in the hospital's history, are expected to save $900,000.

11. Southeast Arizona Medical Center in Douglas, Ariz., announced it would lay off 18 employees by March 1. The layoffs come months after a management agreement with Sierra Vista (Ariz.) Regional Health Center to assist the financially struggling Douglas hospital.

12. Pen Bay Healthcare in Rockport, Maine, eliminated eight positions and continues to look for other cost-saving measures due to impending reductions to the state's Medicaid program. Five employees were laid off at Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport and three at Mid Coast Mental Health Center in Rockland, but the system did not specify what types of jobs were cut.

13. Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine, Fla., cut seven positions and reassigned six people to different areas of the hospital. A hospital spokesperson said the cuts were not layoffs, but an effort to respond to volume changes within different areas of the hospital. Since January, Flagler has hired 33 new employees.

More Articles on Hospital Employment:

Analysis: Medicare Cuts Could Cost 278k Hospital Jobs
6 Unique Challenges of Healthcare Hiring
Fewer Hospital Layoffs Announced in Final Months of 2011


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