The largest health care system in Massachusetts announced on Monday that it's cutting hundreds of jobs, and many are wondering how the layoffs at Mass General Brigham could impact patients and services.
MGB’s CEO informed employees of these layoffs via email Monday. Hundreds of people in management and administrative positions will be out of a job.
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The first round of layoffs is this week, with a second round being announced next month.
This is the largest number of layoffs in the hospital system's history.
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MGB management cited an anticipated $250 million budget shortfall over the next two years. The email to its more than 82,000 employees also pointed to “the current healthcare landscape” – which includes the 15% cuts the Trump administration just made to research funding through the National Institutes of Health.
Boston University School of Public Health Professor Emeritus David Rosenbloom says MGB does have an overly large administrative staff since the merger between Mass General and the Brigham.
He says while doctors and nurses aren’t being cut, reducing the overall workforce by such a large number will add significantly to things like the stress level, burnout and workload of clinicians.
“All of these cuts are going to hurt people," Rosenbloom said. "They're going to make believe they are cuts to institutions, that they’re cutting out fraud and abuse, of which there is plenty. These cuts are going to hurt people and they're going to hurt us fast."
As far as the employees are concerned, MGB said in a statement that it’s giving severance packages and benefits to the employees who get laid off.
