The financial challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic forced hundreds of hospitals across the nation to furlough, lay off or reduce pay for workers, and others have had to scale back services or close.
Lower patient volume, canceled elective procedures and higher expenses tied to the pandemic have created a cash crunch for hospitals, and hospitals are taking a number of steps to offset financial damage. Executives, clinicians and other staff are taking pay cuts, capital projects are being put on hold, and some employees are losing their jobs. More than 260 hospitals and health systems furloughed workers in the last year, and dozens of others have implemented layoffs.
Below are six hospitals and health systems that are laying off employees in the next 2 months. Some of the layoffs were attributed to financial strain caused by the pandemic.
1. Sacramento, Calif.-basedSutter Healthis laying off hundreds of employees, most of whom work in information technology. In a filing with the state, Sutter said it plans to lay off 277 employees on April 2. The 277 jobs being eliminated include 92 analysts, 43 engineers and 28 project managers, according to theSacramento Business Journal, citing the system's filing with California's Employment Development Department.
2. Plattsburgh, N.Y.-basedChamplain Valley Physicians Hospitalplans to cut 60 jobs. The hospital, which is facing a $6.5 million deficit in fiscal year 2021, said the cuts include 10 people who were laid off or had permanent hour reductions, 12 people who are planning retirement, and the rest are open positions that will not be filled.
3. Hialeah (Fla.) Hospital is closing its maternity ward and laying off 62 employees April 5, according to anoticefiled with the state. Most of those affected by the layoffs are registered nurses.
4. The outgoing owners ofProvidence Behavioral Health Hospitalin Holyoke, Mass., are laying off the hospital's 151 employees, effective April 20, according toMassLive. Trinity Health of New England, part of Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health, is selling the hospital to Health Partners New England, which plans to take over the hospital April 20.
5.Olympia Medical Centerin Los Angeles is slated to close March 31. The closure will result in the layoffs of about 450 employees.
6. Minneapolis-basedChildren's Minnesotaannounced in October that it planned to lay off 150 employees, or about 3 percent of its workforce. Children's Minnesota cited several reasons for the layoffs, including the financial hit from the COVID-19 pandemic. Some layoffs occured in December and the rest are effective at the end of March.