Baylor Scott & White announces layoffs, furloughs due to coronavirus strain
Baylor Scott & White announced Tuesday the company will lay off about 1,200 employees due to coronavirus.
The healthcare system did not specify how many cuts will be made at specific hospitals, such as at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, hospitals across the country have seen a sharp decline in the number of general visits due to the suspension of non-urgent procedures. Gov. Greg Abbott ordered healthcare providers to temporarily halt elective procedures in order to save protective gear and resources for COVID-19 related issues.
About 3% of the 49,000 Baylor Scott & White employees will lose their jobs, the company said in a statement. Other changes include temporary salary cuts for senior executives and flex-time and furloughs for other employees.
“While designed to better match our resources with evolving community needs, any decisions to part with our people are always very difficult,” the company said in the statement. “We are committed to supporting these team members’ transitions in every way possible.”
The Baylor Scott & White system includes 50 hospitals, more than 800 patient care sites and 7,500 active physicians in Texas.
On the other hand, the company will raise the hourly rate for about 12,000 nurses and staff who are working on the front lines of coronavirus treatment.
As of Tuesday, patient volumes at Baylor Scott & White’s clinics were nearly back to pre-coronavirus levels, the company said. Hospital admissions were back to 92% of the normal rate and operating rooms were up to 97% the usual levels.
“While patient volumes are steadily increasing, we remain in a financial recovery period during which we must plan for continued unpredictability,” the statement said.
