Burlington-based University of Vermont Medical Center has furloughed about 450 employees, and it warned that more furloughs will be needed to help offset losses and adjust staffing levels to meet lower patient demand, according to the Burlington Free Press.
The medical center said that the furloughs will be limited to 10 weeks, and staff can maintain their health benefits. Some of the affected employees are furloughed full time, while others are partial, according to the report.
"Furloughing our staff is really a way to adjust our staffing to meet the volumes of people we're serving," Stephen Leffler, president and COO of University of Vermont Medical Center, told the Free Press.
The University of Vermont Health Network, which includes the University of Vermont Medical Center and five other hospitals, said it was facing revenue losses of $152 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To help offset the losses, the network also has cut executive salaries and frozen hiring.