Vidant Health announces 191 layoffs, citing budget shortfall

—Reuters
A doctor tends to a patient in the hospital.

GREENVILLE — Vidant Health is laying off nearly 200 workers across eastern North Carolina to address a budget shortfall, the health system’s CEO said Monday.

Dr. Michael Waldrum said in an email that the first steps to eliminate the $18 million budget shortfall during the first quarter of fiscal year 2020 was “to reduce costs, implement operational efficiencies and to discontinue recruitment and hiring for certain non-patient care positions,” news sources reported.

The health system reported an $18 million budget shortfall during the first quarter of fiscal year 2020.

Waldrum said the positions will be on the business and administration side of the health care system. He said 82 positions are coming from corporate; 75 layoffs will occur at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville; 11 layoffs at Vidant Medical Group; seven jobs cut at Vidant Beaufort Hospital; four each at Vidant Edgecombe and Vidant-Roanoke-Chowan hospitals; three at Vidant North Hospital in Roanoke Rapids; two each at Vidant Chowan and Vidant Duplin hospitals; and one at The Outer Banks Hospital.

Its website says Vidant Health includes eight community hospitals that provide services for 1.4 million people across 29 counties in eastern North Carolina.