EVANSVILLE— St. Mary's Health System confirmed Tuesday that it is laying off 73 employees as part of a previously announced staff reduction.
In May, St. Mary’s revealed that it planned to eliminate an unknown number of jobs by July 1.
Hospital system spokeswoman Laura Forbes told the Courier & Press late Tuesday that 73 positions will be eliminated — 61 full-time employees, and 12 part-timers. Eight more positions that had been vacant will go unfilled, she said.
Forbes would not say which departments are affected. She did note, though, that the layoffs involve the St. Mary’s Health system, not just the main Evansville hospital.
St. Mary’s system includes hospitals in Evansville and Boonville, along with two convenient care offices, physician practices, a weight management center and Surgicare.
Its total workforce numbers about 3,600.
Forbes said St. Mary’s plans to disclose more details about the layoffs at a later date, once all the affected employees have been notified.
When St. Mary’s made the original announcement, President and Chief Executive Officer Tim Flesch cited a number of financial and competitive reasons driving the expected layoffs.
At that time Flesch cited lower patient volumes; decreased reimbursement from Medicare and private insurance; and reduced payments related to the national health reform legislation known as the Affordable Care Act.
St. Mary’s is part of Ascension Health Catholic health care system, as is St. Vincent Health in Indianapolis.
In April 2012, Flesch announced St. Mary’s and St. Vincent would begin “corporately coming together” in an effort to improve patient care and reduce costs.
Last month, St. Vincent also announced it planned to lay off some of its employees and contract workers.