Fairview Health Services' decision to eliminate hundreds of positions includes cuts to onsite chaplain services, the Star Tribune reported Nov. 9.
The Minneapolis-based health system announced the elimination of about 250 positions earlier this month in response to ongoing challenges, including inflation, high labor costs and lagging payment rates from insurers.
The cuts equate to less than 1% of Fairview's workforce, and most of the affected roles are not full-time positions, according to the system. Some of the jobs being cut are not currently filled.
Workers told the Star Tribune that 10 of 13 staff chaplains at the University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis are affected.
Another three staff chaplains are affected at other Fairview facilities in the Twin Cities region, Carolyn Browender, a chaplain who is losing her job after working at Fairview hospitals, said, according to the newspaper.
Overall, the layoffs represent a roughly 50% reduction in the number of staff chaplains across Fairview's metropolitan locations, workers told the Star Tribune.
Fairview told the newspaper that reducing onsite chaplain services was a "difficult decision," adding there are "casual" chaplains who provide services as they are needed. Factoring in the available "casual" chaplains, who represent various religions and cultures, there are still "dozens" working with patients, the health system said, according to the Star Tribune.
In a statement shared with the newspaper, Fairview said, "Every day our care teams help patients and families arrange for visits and support by trusted spiritual leaders, based on their personal religious preference and unique cultural needs. We will continue partnering with our region's diverse community of faith leaders and cultural healers to support our whole-person approach to healthcare now and in the future."