A little over a month after filing a notice to complete an estimated 651 layoffs this year, Ascension Technologies, the IT subsidiary of St. Louis-based Ascension, eliminated 92 remote IT jobs in Indiana, according to a June 3 Indianapolis Business Journal report.
Most of the laid-off employees are based in Indianapolis and Evansville, Ind., the Indiana Department of Workforce Development said June 2. An Ascension St. Vincent spokesperson confirmed the layoffs to the Business Journal.
Ascension Technologies filed a notice in Missouri on April 27, saying that it plans to lay off 651 remote workers this year as the company begins working with a third party to take over tech support for EHR and revenue cycle management responsibilities. None of the employees affected by the layoffs are based in Missouri, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Ascension executives attributed the layoffs to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an April internal corporate blog post cited by the Business Journal.
"The pandemic has underscored the importance of our ongoing effort to reimagine and transform our approach to technology as we create greater access to our health system for all consumers," Ascension CIO Gerry Lewis wrote in the blog post. "More than ever before, patients expect a seamless, safe and effective consumer experience, enabled by cutting-edge technology, and caregivers need to be relieved of many of the burdens of overly complex and disconnected technology systems. We are striving to meet these changing needs and expectations head on."
Ascension comprises more than 2,600 care sites, including 146 hospitals across 19 states and Washington, D.C.