I am extremely saddened by the circumstances that have resulted in layoffs in health care, said CMC's CEO Alyson Pitman Giles. At CMC we took a lot of time assessing our options and reviewing our operations with the hope the new tax would not impact our mission or our people. We worked hard to preserve the essence and mission of Catholic health care and protected programs like the Pregnancy Care Center and the Poisson Dental Clinic, so we could continue serving women and children in need.
CMC's Chairman of the Board Guy Chapdelaine added, Catholic Medical Center carries out a charitable mission every day, and has operated conservatively and successfully for years. Despite a strong financial standing, the organization cannot pay a $12 million tax without making significant operational changes. Our community board, and the entire CMC family, is disheartened.
The State budget that took effect July 1 and included a cut in Medicaid reimbursement totaling more than $250 million over the next two years. For CMC and other hospital's taking care of the greatest number of Medicaid patients, this has meant a steep unanticipated tax and devastating consequences. Specifically for CMC, this means:
- $12 million tax due in October 2011
- 101 full time positions eliminated throughout the organization, including senior management and vice president levels
- Reduced work hours for some positions
- Temporary freeze of employee benefits, such as annual merit increases and education tuition reimbursement
- Open positions that do not impact patient care will remain vacant
- Transition of CMC's free 24/7 ASK-A-NURSE service, which has responded to thousands of calls over the past 22 years, to only offer non-medical advice and physician referrals on a limited schedule.
- Reduced schedule and access of other free charitable programs
- Reduced advertising and travel
Our team at CMC continues to stand strong, despite these awful consequences created by the state, and I know we will band together to do more with less, Giles said. Our patients remain in good hands at Catholic Medical Center, but our charitable services that specifically help the poor have been compromised and hard-working health care employees have lost their jobs. We are very sad and disappointed.
CMC has served the region for more than 100 years. The hospital offers full medical-surgical care with more than 28 subspecialties. It is also home to The Mom's Place and the nationally recognized New England Heart Institute. More information is available at www.catholicmedicalcenter.org.
Current Issue - April 2024