Samaritan Health Services, a nonprofit, integrated delivery system based in Corvallis, Ore., has laid off dozens of workers from its home healthcare and hospice services departments, according to a Newport News Times report.
The layoffs come as Albany, Ore.-based Samaritan Evergreen Hospice takes over hospice care services, and private care provider Signature Healthcare takes over home healthcare services.
Julie Manning, a spokesperson for Samaritan Health Services, told the News Times in a statement that affected employees may apply for new positions at Samaritan Evergreen Hospice as it expands into Newport, Ore., or apply for positions on Signature Healthcare's website.
She attributed the layoffs to declining reimbursement.
"Medicare and other healthcare providers make decisions about what they're going to pay for different health services," Ms. Manning said. "We just didn't feel we could continue to provide that service."
The new hospice services office is expected to be housed on Southwest 11th Street in Newport, and home healthcare operations will be in Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport, which recently opened a $57 million addition.