Glendale Memorial is second major local hospital to announce layoffs

Glendale Memorial Hospital this week announced plans to undergo a round of staff reductions, roughly two months after the city’s other major hospital, Glendale Adventist Medical Center, laid off 21 workers in response to federal healthcare payment reform and other industry shifts.

Glendale Memorial on Monday pointed to an increase in the number of uninsured patients caused by the lengthy economic recession and cuts in government insurance programs in announcing its own workforce reduction. The 334-bed hospital also reported seeing fewer patients in recent months.

Glendale Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Angela Giacobbe said the decision to lay off employees was in the preliminary stages, so it was not yet known how many workers would be affected, which positions would be eliminated or when the layoffs would occur.

The cuts come at a time when hospitals across the region are bracing for the impact of the federal Affordable Care Act that will greatly expand the number of previously uninsured people coming through their doors in the year ahead.

While Glendale Memorial said it was too early to tell which positions would be eliminated, Glendale Adventist officials said when announcing the layoffs in November that the cuts primarily affected non-clinical employees — or less than 2% of its workforce — and that direct patient care would not be affected.

In the statement issued Monday, Glendale Memorial noted that both union and nonunion employees would be affected by the workforce reduction.

In the meantime, the hospital will be working with employees to see if they can find other positions with Dignity Health, the nonprofit corporation that owns 40 hospitals, including Glendale Memorial.

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