Dallas-based White Rock Medical Center laid off nearly 35% of its staff and has resumed taking patients transported by emergency medical services after halting them temporarily due to the layoffs, The Dallas Morning News reported May 7.
On May 6, White Rock General Counsel and Chief Restructuring Officer Terry Fokas told the publication that the hospital temporarily stopped taking patients transported by emergency medical services "out of an abundance of caution" so patients would not be affected by the workforce reduction, which affected 158 employees.
White Rock, which is owned by Heights Healthcare of Texas, began accepting EMS-transported patients again on May 7, although it is still diverting patients needing stroke and STEMI heart attack care due to the reduced staffing capacity.
"During this period, we made the cautious decision to divert ambulance services to ensure that we could maintain the highest level of care with the staffing resources available. I am pleased to report that we have now stabilized our staffing levels across all critical services necessary for effectively handling EMS operations," Mirza Baig, MD, PhD, CEO of Heights Healthcare, wrote in an email to staff on May 7.
The hospital averages 15 EMS-transported patients per day.
Prior to the workforce reduction, White Rock had 460 staff members, according to the publication. Mr. Fokas attributed the layoffs to ongoing litigation with the hospital's former owner, Pipeline.
Pipeline filed for bankruptcy in 2022 and is looking to sell White Rock.
Pipeline told the publication it did not have comment on the layoffs.
Becker's reached out to White Rock Medical Center for comment and will update this story if more information becomes available.
Editor's note: This article was updated May 8.