Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth expects fewer than 250 employees systemwide to be affected by its transition of several information technology services to Tech Mahindra and The HCI Group in November, or less than 1.5% of its total workforce, a spokesperson said in a statement to Becker’s.
Of those, 150 positions will be permanently eliminated across PeaceHealth’s Washington facilities Nov. 20, according to a Sept. 17 WARN notice filed with the Washington Employment Security Department. All employees directly affected have been notified and will receive support and resources, according to the statement.
The notice, signed by Chief Human Resources Officer Elizabeth Lagler, said the reduction constitutes a mass layoff under the state’s WARN Act and that no bumping rights exist for affected positions.
Affected roles listed in the filing are concentrated in IT and analytics, including applications systems analysts, field services analysts, service desk staff, network administrators, information security analysts and data science managers. Most are based at the system’s shared services center in Vancouver.
The system said the transition is intended to improve IT support for caregivers, strengthen the reliability and functionality of the systems they use daily, and bring forward new tools and technology aimed at enhancing the patient experience.
PeaceHealth will continue to lead technology strategy, oversee cybersecurity, protect patient information and remain accountable for the technology that supports care, according to the statement. On-site technology support will continue across PeaceHealth facilities during and after the transition, and the system said the level of on-site support will not decrease.
The transition comes as health systems nationwide cut IT and coding roles.
PeaceHealth operates medical centers, hospitals and clinics in Washington, Oregon and Alaska.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 4:45 p.m. CT Sept. 18.
