Cook County Health plans to implement several cost-cutting measures, including layoffs, outpatient clinic consolidation and reduced reliance on contract workers, according to local radio station WBBM.
The Chicago-based public hospital system said the cuts are necessary because it is facing a $187 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2021 and it wants to ensure it can continue to meet its rising charity care demand.
About 130 workers across the system will be affected by layoffs, Crain's Chicago Business reported.
In addition to the layoffs, Cook County Health plans to reduce its reliance on contract workers and close its Woodlawn and Near South outpatient clinics.
When those clinics close, services will transition to Provident Hospital in Chicago.
The two-hospital system has faced financial difficulties for years, including an "unprecedented" demand for charity care. The rising demand, coupled with the financial fallout associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, contributed to the budget shortfall.