Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., part of Trinity Health of New England, is trimming jobs.
The hospital has laid off 12 of its 380 unionized nurses, the Massachusetts Nurses Association told Western Mass News. Translators and ancillary staff were also affected by the cuts, according to the report.
Trinity Health of New England, which declined to provide the number of workers affected by the layoffs, attributed the cuts to national disruption in the healthcare industry.
"The pandemic significantly impacted how care is delivered and traditional hospital services as patient utilization of these services has decreased," a hospital spokesperson told Becker's Hospital Review May 24. "Healthcare has also experienced national and regional staffing shortages, requiring the use of expensive agency labor, coupled with inflationary increases on supplies and other commodities."
In addition to the layoffs, Trinity Health of New England is also eliminating some positions that are currently vacant.
Workers affected by the cuts will be eligible for a paid notice period, severance pay and benefits through their severance period, the hospital spokesperson told Becker's.
"These are difficult and challenging times. Healthcare delivery has permanently changed," the spokesperson said. "By adapting now with these necessary adjustments, we can sustain our mission and continue our tradition of providing safe, high-quality healthcare services throughout Connecticut and western Massachusetts."
Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health ended the first nine months of fiscal year 2022 with net income of $43 million on revenue of $15.13 billion. In the same period a year earlier, the health system reported net income of $3.19 billion on revenue of $15.12 billion.