Lowell (Mass.) General Hospital laid off 29 managers and non-clinical administrative employees in an effort to cut expenses, reports The Lowell Sun.
Hospital officials said the expense reduction is necessary as hospitals nationwide experience margin pressures. The job cuts are expected to save Lowell General $2.5 million.
"We've had better days," said Lowell General CEO Jody White, adding that "[the layoffs] are very difficult calls to make. Some of these are friends I hired personally."
In fiscal year 2017, the hospital posted its second-lowest operating profit since 2012.
This is not the hospital's first set of layoffs this year. In February, seven transcriptionists were replaced by software and six employees in the hospitals health information management department were laid off.