ValleyCare Cuts Staff at Northside Medical Center

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – ValleyCare Health System of Ohio says it its cutting the equivalent of 68 full-time equivalent employees at Northside Medical Center, one of three hospitals it operates in the Mahoning Valley.

ValleyCare is a subsidiary of Tennessee-based Community Health Systems Inc.

“In an effort to more closely align staffing to the community’s usage of services, we have determined a staff adjustment is appropriate,” Trish Hrina, vice president of marketing and public relations for ValleyCare, said in a statement.

The statement did not detail what employees or departments would be affected.

“We value the skills and services of all these employees and regret that reductions are necessary, however, our patient volumes do not support the current workforce,” Hrina continued. “We want Northside to be a sustainable health-care provider for this community, and we continue pursue strategies for growth and make investments in the services the community is using most, such as inpatient medical care, outpatient surgery and emergency services.”

A statement issued by Anthony Caldwell, spokesman for Service Employees International Union District 1199, criticized the move. He said the union is working with its members and hospital leaders to look for ways to minimize the impact to the community and preserve as many jobs as possible.

“The announcement by ValleyCare to layoff 42 union health-care providers at Northside Hospital demonstrates a broken promise to the people of the Mahoning Valley as they fail to fulfill their obligation to preserve good jobs and revive a struggling health-care system,” Caldwell said.

“The low patient volumes and out migration of patients to other health-care providers is directly related to mismanagement by ValleyCare executives and could put quality care at risk,” he added.

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