Boston Jobs Affected By Baystate Health Announcement

According to a company press release, Baystate Health, New England’s largest private employer, announced plans to address the impact of the weakening economy – an impact that could affect some of the 10,000 Western Massachusetts and Boston-area healthcare jobs.

“Baystate Health is now revising its FY09 budget to adjust for the latest round of state cuts and payment shifts from the federal government, stated Keith C. McLean-Shinaman, Chief Financial Officer of Baystate Health.

The healthcare network will eliminate as many as 120 vacant positions, cut 55 administrative positions, enact a hiring freeze on non-clinical jobs, and put financing on hold for a major expansion: Baystate Medical Center’s Hospital of the Future.

Hiring will continue for clinical care positions and for those positions deemed crucial to ensure high quality patient care. “After careful review of budget realities, we needed to make the very difficult decision to reduce the size of our workforce,” said Paula Dennison, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Baystate Health.

In a message to all Baystate Health employees, Mark R. Tolosky, President and CEO, shared an update on plans for the building project: “The Hospital of the Future is a necessity for our community and we remain committed to addressing the current and future demands for care. In light of current economic conditions, we are evaluating the timing and scope of the project to be sure our assumptions and the plans we made continue to be appropriate.”

Based on budget cuts recently imposed by the state, changes in federal payments, and declines in patient volumes, along with other negative economic factors, Baystate Health forecasts a budget gap as large as $37 million which represents 2.8% of its $1.3 billion budge. Its leaders throughout the organization are looking at every option to reduce expenses, and already have reduced or eliminated non-salary expenses wherever possible.

“We are a strong organization today because of the commitment and dedication of our physicians, clinicians, and staff and our ability to implement strategic plans while maintaining focus on our charitable mission,” commented Mark R. Tolosky, President and CEO, Baystate Health.

“Another strength is that we take action before a problem becomes a crisis. With our commitment to doing what is right for our community and maintaining high quality care, we are making critical decisions now that will allow us to meet necessary financial targets so we can reinvest in programs, services, technology, and facilities needed for our patients,” Tolosky added.

“Based on the economic outlook and continuing decline in government reimbursements, we will continue to be prudent, work to reduce expenses as needed, and ensure that Baystate Health continues to carry out our mission of bringing quality care to people in our communities now and for years to come,” said Tolosky. “Managing in this environment will be challenging for us all, and we are grateful for the individual contributions and teamwork of our employees and physicians in support of our patients,” he added.