George Washington University Hospital has announced layoffs, a move the nurses’ union said was unexpected.
The hospital’s parent company, Universal Health Services (UHS), is citing healthcare industry challenges as a reason for the layoffs. The restructuring will decrease the hospital's workforce by 3% to help reduce expenses and increase efficiency, according to a statement.
About 60 positions were expected to be cut, the Washington Business Journal reported.
“All impacted employees have been valued members of our team, and we are treating them with dignity and respect during this difficult time,” the statement said.
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Hospital officials said the majority of those affected by the layoffs were offered other positions within the organization. Most of these impacted roles are not directly involved in front-line patient care. UHS said they were trying to support impacted employees by transitioning some of them to open positions or providing eligible employees with a separation package.
Following the news, George Washington University Hospital (GWUH) Nurses United released a statement saying they were “deeply saddened” by the cuts and were not notified before the layoffs were announced.
“We are in the profession of caring and UHS has demonstrated that they are not. Our patients and staff deserve better,” the statement read in part.
