Just a few weeks after hundreds of UT Health Northeast employees were offered buyout packages, UT Health East Texas announced that approximately 400 employees are being laid off.
As a new chapter begins we must ensure our system is structured to meet patients’ needs – now and in the future. That means evaluating where there is the most demand for services and realigning operations and staffing to meet that demand. As we begin to move the system towards financial stability there will be staffing changes that impact approximately 5 percent of the overall workforce or approximately 400 individuals. The vast majority of affected individuals are non-clinical however, some contract nursing staff will be impacted as we move toward a staffing model that relies on permanent nurses, and some caregivers will provide their exceptional service in a different clinical setting or location.
Over time, inpatient services will move from the north campus to the Tyler campus in an effort to improve access for patients and better align higher acuity tertiary care services with system resources. The north campus will maintain a full spectrum of services to support emergency care, pulmonary, oncology, gastroenterology, minor surgical procedures, and behavioral care, as well as continuing clinical research and education.
Affected individuals will be provided with severance, outplacement support, assistance and resources based upon current policies and years of service. They will also be encouraged to apply for open positions within the UT Health East Texas system or other facilities within our parent company.
“These decisions are never made lightly. While this affects a small percentage of our workforce, even one job lost is important and meaningful, and we deeply regret the personal impact of these changes,” said Moody Chisholm, president & CEO of UT Health East Texas. “As we move forward, we will manage our work effectively so that similar reductions are only part of our past, not our future. We are committed to stabilizing and growing this system and, over time, we expect to add jobs as we expand services.”