Panama City, Fla.-based Bay Medical Sacred Heart, a 323-bed hospital damaged by Hurricane Michael, will lay off an undisclosed number of employees as it prepares to reopen next year, according to a WJHG/WECP report.
A letter cited in the report from CEO C. Scott Campbell states, "After careful evaluation of our new post-hurricane reality, we have made the difficult decision to eliminate positions throughout the hospital. As we prepare to reopen the hospital at one-fourth its previous size, we must adjust staffing levels to support a smaller range of services and match the community's current needs."
The letter does not provide details about the layoffs but refers employees to a link to the secure employee website for information about their position. Bay Medical Sacred Heart also scheduled a series of conference calls for Dec. 3 to provide more information to employees. Additional calls are scheduled for Dec. 4.
"This is a sad time for our hospital, and I deeply regret the impact this news will have on members of our Bay Medical family," said Mr. Campbell. "We are committed to doing everything possible to support employees during this transition. All laid-off employees will be paid through Feb. 4, 2019, and benefits will continue through Feb. 28, 2019."
He said Nashville, Tenn.-based Ardent Health Services — which has signed a letter of intent to sell its interest in the hospital to Pensacola, Fla.-based Sacred Heart Health System, part of St. Louis-based Ascension — has indicated it will hire as many affected employees as possible for roles within their system. Sacred Heart Health System has indicated the same.
Bay Medical Sacred Heart will reopen in stages after Jan. 1.
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