Via Christi Health in Wichita will be sending out notices over the next two weeks informing staff about the elimination of 70 non-patient care positions. That’s in addition to another 80 positions that have been vacant over the last three months that will not be filled. However, as KMUW’s Sean Sandefur reports, the company will be adding bedside nurses to their patient care unit.
According to a release from Todd Conklin, interim CEO for Via Christi Health, the company is looking to hire roughly 80 people for bedside care positions, such as nurses and therapists.
Via Christi Health has been struggling financially due to the rising costs of pharmaceuticals and nursing salaries, as well as lower payments from insurance companies and government agencies.
Over the past three months, the company lost 80 employees to turnover and has decided not to fill those positions as well as to eliminate an additional 70 positions that are currently filled.
According to the press release, Via Christi Health will look to hire within in order to limit layoffs and will be giving severance packages to those that are let go.
Here’s the full statement from Interim CEO Todd Conklin:
“After assessment of our direct- and non-direct patient care associate teams, we have made the difficult decision to eliminate approximately 70 positions, which is about 1 percent of our total Kansas-wide workforce. These reductions do not include associates who provide direct patient care. We are actively recruiting for approximately 80 positions, primarily nurses who provide direct patient care. For those associates who will be displaced, we are working to find other suitable positions, wherever possible, within our health system. Those who do not find new positions will be provided severance based on their years of service.”
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