Trib Total Media: UPMC Cutting 1,000 Jobs

Trib Total Media of Pittsburgh reports UPMC is cutting 1,000 jobs because of post-pandemic challenges.

Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Paul Wood said the reductions will impact just over 1% of UPMC’s more than 100,000-member workforce systemwide.

He said layoffs primarily are taking place among non-clinical, administrative staff who don’t deal directly with patients. Staff cuts also will be realized through attrition, closing of open positions, elimination of redundancies and other actions.

Wood said the moves will not change UPMC’s investments in communities, facilities, clinical care, research, growth or benefits.

UPMC is providing enhanced severance pay and benefits coverage for affected employees.

UPMC did not elaborate on the exact number of people who will lose their jobs, nor in what departments they work or when the layoffs would occur. Spokespeople also did not detail what percentage of the staff cuts would be realized through attrition or closing open positions.

The health care system employs more than 5,000 physicians at its 40 hospitals and 800 doctors’ offices and outpatient sites. It reported a $198 million operating loss for 2023, down from an operating income of $162 million for the previous year. Total operating revenues for 2023 were $27.7 billion, up from 25.5 billion in 2022.

In November, UPMC attributed its operating losses to rising labor costs and supply markets, increases in medical claims as more patients accessed care, pharmaceutical expenses and legal settlements.

WRFA has reached out to UPMC Chautauqua for information on how the lay-offs would affect staff here in Jamestown.