Morehead Memorial Hospital in Eden, N.C. has eliminated 22 positions and cut hours for 160 of its employees, according to a Triad Business Journal report.
Last spring, the hospital, which has seen continued declines in hospital admissions (30 percent reduction in inpatient volumes over the last several years), got rid of 22 positions and reduced hours for 25 workers, so this is the second layoff announcement by the hospital in 2014, according to the report.
"As the health care industry continues to face significant pressures to make health care more affordable and more accessible, all areas of hospital operations need to be evaluated," Morehead President and CEO Howard Ainsley said in a statement used by the Triad Business Journal.
Although the hospital has "made strides" as far as managing costs and improving operational efficiencies, "greater changes are needed," Mr. Ainsley said in the hospital's recent announcement, according to the report.
Earlier this year, Morehead partnered with Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health, and the goal was "to achieve some of the operational efficiencies and supply chain savings that larger hospitals and health systems enjoy," according to the report.
In addition to the layoffs, Morehead is taking other measures as well, including adjusting its pension plan and working to improve its revenue cycle management program.
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