So far this year, nurses have been included in job reductions at Optum and two hospitals.
At least 41 hospitals and health systems have cut jobs this year amid industrywide financial and operational challenges, though patient-facing clinical roles are often spared.
Below are three layoffs involving nurses Becker's has reported on this year.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list.
Portland-based Oregon Health & Science University has cut a telehealth nursing unit, affecting 21 jobs. A spokesperson for the health system confirmed to Becker's in July that members of the Oregon Nurses Association accounted for 21 reductions that are part of a larger plan to cut more than 500 jobs over a 90-day period. The plan was included in the health system's fiscal year 2025 budget, which was approved by the board of directors in late June.
Ridgecrest (Calif.) Regional Hospital cut the jobs of nearly 30 registered nurses and seven licensed vocational nurses as part of two separate rounds of layoffs in February and April. The initial round of layoffs took effect Feb. 28 and included 23 labor and delivery nurses. The hospital suspended its labor and delivery unit to avoid closure, citing declining birth rates and recruitment challenges. The second round of layoffs took effect in April and included four additional registered nurses in other service areas.
UnitedHealth Group's Optum is terminating more than 524 employees across clinics and administrative offices in California. The layoffs, which include an unconfirmed number of nurses, will become effective from Sept. 16 through January 2025. LinkedIn posts from terminated employees indicate jobs at Landmark Health have been affected, including nurse practitioners. The Huntington Beach, Calif.-based company became part of Optum in 2020.