Lewisburg, Pa.-based Evangelical Community Hospital plans to delay pay increases and not fill 15 open positions to help offset losses attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Daily Item.
The hospital said it will delay adjustment and merit increases for all employees until next year. In addition, it plans to reduce hourly staffing incentives and training hours, not fill 15 open positions and lower its 401(k) employer match.
Evangelical Community Hospital said the additional cuts are necessary due to incurring unexpected costs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We have a shared responsibility to continue meeting the health and wellness needs of our community," Kendra Aucker, president and CEO of Evangelical Community Hospital, told The Daily Item. "Our friends, families, and neighbors have come to trust the care they receive from the hospital, and our goal in all of these difficult financial decisions has been to find ways to ensure the hospital remains an access point for care long into the future."
The hospital previously announced plans to cut capital spending and offer voluntary early retirements to help shore up finances. Twenty-seven employees chose the early retirement offer.