COVID-19 forces temporary layoffs at Lancaster, Chester hospitals. Here’s the latest.
Major hospitals in Chester and Lancaster are part of a sweeping round of temporary layoffs and pay cuts by Medical University of South Carolina Health.
According to a release, Chester Medical Center and Lancaster Medical Center are involved along with hospitals in Florence and Marion. So are all MUSC health clinics. Combined, those facilities will see about 900 temporary layoffs.
Additional information specific to the Chester and Lancaster hospitals is not available, according to the hospital system. Chester Medical is the only hospital in Chester County, an 82-bed facility. Lancaster Medical has 225 beds and more than 120 physicians.
A year ago MUSC announced its acquisition of the Chester and Lancaster hospitals. Last fall MUSC voted to file a certificate of need to relocate 100 beds from its Lancaster site, formerly the Springs Memorial Hospital, to a new hospital in Indian Land.
Pay changes and layoffs are a result of the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus, according to the release.
“Like many other healthcare systems across the nation and around the world, the COVID-19 virus has placed tremendous financial pressure on MUSC Health,” it reads. “To help flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic, South Carolina government officials encouraged social distancing strategies and urged all hospitals to halt or significantly reduce surgical procedures and other patient care activities that were not urgent or emergent.”
Since, it continues, MUSC Health surgical volume is down 75%. Ambulatory encounters are down 70% and inpatient encounters are down 30%.
Now the hospital system plans to transition 80% of ambulatory or outpatient visits to telehealth, reduce purchased or contract services, reduce supply to match volume and critical needs, delay capital expenditures and realign workforce to include reduced pay and temporary layoffs.
MUSC Health leaders will see a 20% pay reduction, salaried employees a 15% drop and hourly employees who do not provide direct patient care will see a reduction in hours. Front line employees who already have already had hours reduced will not face additional pay cuts.
