Layoffs have been made at St. Vincent Jennings Hospital in North Vernon as a result of restructuring of the St. Vincent Health network.
"It has been tough for everyone," said Katherine Johnson, the hospital's director of community relations and human resources. "We view all our associates as family. It's never easy to do these things."
The layoffs which took effect in late June eliminated 6.8 full-time equivalent jobs among the hospital staff.
The hospital staff, which does not include those working there with the St. Vincent Medical Group and contracted personnel, now includes 65 full-time and 46 pro re nata (as needed) or part-time employees.
The hospital's physical therapy, laboratory, dietary and housekeeping departments are staffed by personnel from contracted firms. The outpatient clinics and purchasing department are staffed by other divisions of the St. Vincent network.
"We tried very hard not to impact patient care or make cuts in the clinical areas," Johnson said. "Patient care has not been compromised."
In May, St. Vincent Health officials announced the intent to restructure its workforce that would include a reduction of employed and contracted employees. As a result of evaluating an array of costs throughout the system to ensure alignment with the needs of the communities served, a 5 percent reduction of labor expense has been made across the 22-hospital system in southern and central Indiana.
© 2024 North Vernon Plain Dealer and Sun