St. Joseph’s Health plans for furloughs as part of “unprecedented fiscal fallout” from COVID-19 crisis

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — St. Joseph’s Health says it is planning to implement staff furloughs, cut senior leader compensation, and redeploy staff to “address critical needs.”

The health-care organization adds that it will provide more information “in the days and weeks ahead” as it plans for the “unprecedented fiscal fallout associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

As it plans for the staff cuts, St. Joseph’s says it is “continuing to recruit providers and clinical staff.”

The plan was outlined in a letter to employees from St. Joseph’s Health President and CEO Leslie Luke. The organization forwarded the letter to CNYBJ.

“While we do not yet know the exact number of impacted colleagues, we greatly respect and honor the dignity of every single individual affected by these measures. Furloughed colleagues will continue to retain several benefits such as health, dental and basic life insurance,” Luke said in the letter.

Luke called the steps “difficult” but “intended to make sure” the system is able to provide the “best possible care” for patients and communities.

“We hope to bring back as many of our impacted colleagues as we can at the appropriate time, and, as the situation evolves, affected colleagues may be asked to serve our system in new ways,” Luke wrote.

The plan, Luke added, is a “necessary response” to the changes and challenges impacting health-care providers across the country as COVID-19 rapidly spreads and leading health-care experts predict a “surge of cases over the coming weeks and months.”

The cancellation of non-essential surgeries and medical procedures has slammed shut a vital revenue source for hospitals across the region, state, and nation at the same time they have to respond to the emergency of treating COVID-19 patients. Patients skipping routine visits during the pandemic has further hit health-care systems’ revenue.