Ascension lays off employees in Wisconsin

Ascension St. Francis Hospital in Milwaukee has laid off employees, according to a union leader.

Hospital officials had proposed to lay off 21 people in their bargaining unit, Jamie Lucas, executive director of the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, told Becker's. These included health unit coordinators and personal care assistants, but not registered nurses.

Due to a union contract with hospital management, some affected employees have been moved to vacant positions in the hospital, said Mr. Lucas. 

"We have moved nine people of the proposed 21 into different jobs. As of now, 12 people were laid off, and nine were moved into different positions. There were other layoffs in the hospital, but none that affected our bargaining unit. We do not know how many total in the hospital or in other hospitals across the state," he said. 

While no registered nurses were affected at St. Francis, Mr. Lucas said he was concerned about the extra work for nurses who are "already stretched thin." 

Becker's reached out to Ascension Wisconsin to discuss layoffs, and a company spokesperson issued the following statement: "We continually review staffing models, while respecting our collective bargaining agreements, to ensure efficiency of our resources while providing the highest quality and most compassionate care. Out of respect for the privacy of our associates, we do not comment on personnel matters."

Glendale-based Ascension Wisconsin is a branch of Catholic hospital giant St. Louis-based Ascension.

 

More articles on leadership and management:

Mercy hospital system to cut jobs, restructure
New Geisinger CEO Dr. Jaewon Ryu on his vision for democratizing world-class care
Northwell Health's Michael Dowling named a 2019 'top CEO'

 

 

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars