Hospital Officials Say Layoffs Are A Sign of Merger's Necessity

Officials with Jewish Hospital and St. Mary's Healthcare say the recent round of layoffs is an example of why the healthcare provider must merge with University of Louisville Hospital and Catholic Health Initiatives.Yesterday, Jewish Hospital cut 155 jobs. Last year, the system cut 500. The hospital merger will create a number of redundancies and likely lead to further cuts.In a statement issued today, a spokesperson says those efficiencies are necessary to prevent even more cuts.The merger has drawn wide criticism over potential changes in reproductive health and end-of-life care.The full statement:These reductions are a clear example of why the merger between Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare, University Medical Center and Saint Joseph Health System is so critical.  Healthcare is changing and volumes are dropping while bad debt increases.  To be effective, growing organizations, we must be flexible and adapt.  To be able to continue to provide quality care to our residents, we need to create maximum efficiency by merging programs in a way to promote long-term growth and increased services to the residents of the Commonwealth.