ST. LOUIS PARK, MN – Park Nicollet Health Services, an integrated care system in the Minneapolis area, is cutting 233 jobs, the second big round of layoffs in less than five months.
According to David Wessner, Park Nicollet’s CEO, the 233 jobs are the equivalent of 118 full-time employees, or 1.8 percent of the health system’s total workforce. Park Nicollet had already eliminated the jobs of 233 employees in December 2008.
The health system, which has approximately 7,500 employees, said it would also merge several leadership positions, require some employees to take two weeks' unpaid leave before the end of the year and eliminate its 401(k) match for 2009.
Wessner said Park Nicollet would also leave 69 open positions unfilled.
Park Nicollet has had heavy losses in its investment portfolio and seen a reduction in patients and an increase in bad debt due to unpaid medical bills, all of which Wessner attributed to the recession.
Wessner said the health system is bracing for additional state and federal healthcare budget cuts.
