Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago has laid off a "very small" number of employees after a comprehensive budget review, the hospital confirmed in a July 27 statement shared with Becker's.
"Lurie Children's is undertaking a comprehensive review of our budget to ensure we are in the strongest possible position to sustain our mission for many years to come. It is through this lens that we are identifying and acting upon opportunities to increase operating efficiency and support our longer-term growth," the statement said, adding the review resulted in a "very small reduction" in team members across the organization.
The hospital declined to confirm the number of positions affected. In Illinois, employers are required to submit a WARN notice when a layoff affects 250 or more full-time employees. The job reductions at Lurie Children's, which were first reported by Fox affiliate WFLD, did not trigger a WARN notice.
"We take seriously the impact these decisions have on our teams and are committed to treating everyone with respect and compassion," the hospital said in its statement. "At the same time, we are confident these are the right decisions for our organization's future as we look to better serve children and families in Illinois and beyond."
The news comes as the hospital continues to grapple with the fallout of a Jan. 31 cyberattack that took its internet, phones and MyChart down. It took nearly four months for the hospital to reactivate all of its affected systems and in June, Lurie Children's revealed more than 791,000 patients had their data breached as a result of the attack. It is now facing a federal class-action lawsuit over the data breach.