Worcester, Mass.-based UMass Memorial Health Care laid off 17 IT workers Oct. 11, according to a Worcester Business Journal report.
The system is working to reduce costs amid a multimillion-dollar budget gap. It did not disclose to the Worcester Business Journal how much it expects to save from the layoffs.
"We are working with our human resources partner to make sure we are responsive to the needs of the impacted team members during this difficult transition," spokesperson Tony Berry told the publication.
The layoffs are part of UMass Memorial Health Care's efforts to address its financial losses. The system, which includes UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, said it has lost about $22 million year to date through September on operations, primarily due to lower Medicaid reimbursements.
To improve its finances, the system said it plans to close the facility-based outpatient psychiatry practices on the Hahnemann Campus in Worcester and at its Queen Street location in Worcester in January, partially due to declining patient volume. Patients can receive care through an outpatient, office-based practice expected to open that same month in Worcester.
Additionally, the system said it will close the outpatient physical therapy service on the Hahnemann Campus in January due to declining patient volume. UMass Memorial Health Care said it is exploring a new outpatient physical therapy service in Shrewsbury, Mass.
In other efforts, UMass Memorial has closed an inpatient pediatric unit at UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital's campus in Leominster, Mass., cardiac services in Leominster and an urgent care center in Fitchburg, Mass. Patients are receiving these services at other system locations.