Hundreds being laid off from Memorial Health

(WAND) - Hundreds of employees are being laid off from Memorial Health.

Memorial Health sent WAND a statement Tuesday saying:

"In response to the current national and statewide economic trends negatively affecting the healthcare industry, Memorial Health is restructuring to reduce its workforce, focusing primarily on leadership, administrative and support positions."

The layoffs include 20 percent of leadership positions across the organization.

The reduction represents 5 percent of Memorial Health’s total salary and benefits.

The announced layoffs are for the entire Memorial Health system.

Laid off employees will receive a severance package, a health insurance stipend and support resources. Some may also be offered the opportunity to transfer to different roles within the organization.

“This is a difficult decision that was made after careful analysis and implementation of other cost-saving measures. Memorial Health is not immune to national trends, such rising cost of supplies and equipment, high cost of labor and shifting trends in payer reimbursements,” said Ed Curtis, Memorial Health president and CEO. “We are committed to continuing to provide the highest quality of care for the communities we serve, and this action, while painful, enables us to focus on our core mission.”