27 jobs lost at Hill-Rom in Batesville

"As we better understand the current demands for our products," late last week 27 Hill-Rom salaried employees in manufacturing and support areas in Batesville were notified their positions have been eliminated, said Lauren Green-Caldwell, corporate communications and public relations director.

This action should be the completion of a process that began in mid-January to terminate close to 170 Batesville-based employees.

With equipment spending frozen at many hospitals during the recession, the cuts will "insure all of our support operations are appropriately sized to reflect the reduced volume levels," she explained.

The workers will receive severance packages that include ongoing health care benefits and outplacement services. Hill-Rom also will pay "100 percent of tuition for associates impacted who wish to pursue two-year associate degrees from any accredited technical college," according to Green-Caldwell.

At the same time some are leaving, new employees are being hired. "We've remained committed to a growth strategy," particularly in research and development and global field sales. "We believe that when this economy turns, we need to be growing and being there to meet the needs of our customers," the director observed. She said many of those jobs will be in Batesville, with marketing functions and the company's innovation center on State Road 46 both located here.

Could some of the terminated workers move to these new jobs? "It all depends on individual skills and talents. People have the opportunity to apply for other jobs they are qualified for."

Green-Caldwell pointed out, "We've been doing what we need to do to continue to make our business operate well."