Jan. 16--Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey cut about 80 jobs this week and announced plans to close its long-standing child care center as it confronts financial pressures, a company spokeswoman said Friday.
The cuts represent less than 4 percent of the hospital's workforce and were spread across all departments, including technology, nursing and administration, said Susan Fine, director of public relations at Ingalls. About 15 of the 80 positions eliminated were already vacant.
Ingalls expects to save $3.5 million from the cuts, Fine said. The hospital, which had 2,141 employees before making the announcement, is trying to place affected workers into other positions, she added.
Eighteen of the cuts were at the employee child care center, a benefit that has been available to employees for 23 years but was underused and "never broke even," Fine said. The center will remain open until March so that employees who use it have time to find alternative arrangements.
Fine said Ingalls, like hospitals across the country, is facing financial pressures that stem in part from the new health care law, including a drop in patients and reduced federal reimbursements.
"We're not only responding -- Ingalls likes to think we remain proactive, too, so that we can stay financially viable into the future," Fine said.
Ingalls, founded in 1923, sits on 37 acres and is licensed for 532 beds, Fine said.
All of the jobs eliminated were deemed noncritical, she added.
"As challenging as it is to do, everyone understands that whatever reductions are made are never done at the expense of a patient, ever," Fine said.
aelejalderuiz@tribpub.com
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