Only two employees at St. Vincent Kokomo are set to be terminated as part of a string of statewide layoffs affecting more than 100 workers.
St. Vincent Health, which is part of Ascension health system, last month sent a notice to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development informing the agency it planned to terminate in total 111 revenue-cycle workers at its facilities in Indianapolis, Anderson, Evansville, Salem and Kokomo.
In the notice, company officials said the layoffs stemmed from a partnership with a revenue cycle management company. Gene Ford, a manager of public relations with St. Vincent, identified the company as the Chicago-based firm R1 RCM.
"Through our partnership with R1, we are evolving our revenue cycle work to help us meet the needs of individuals in the communities we serve and deliver a better patient experience,” Ford said in a statement.
Facilities in Indianapolis will be hit the hardest, with 85 employees slated for termination.
The two Kokomo positions to be laid off are both patient-access representatives, and the terminations will begin on Aug. 31, according to the notice.
Ford said many associates who hold these positions at Ascension’s sites of care will remain in their local facilities, though some positions will be moved to a shared service site in another location.
He said all affected associates will be provided an option to relocate that includes relocation assistance, as well as transition support for associates who decline the positions.
In the notice, St. Vincent Health said it plans to offer severance benefits to eligible employees who are affected by the layoffs.