Hamilton Health Care System in Dalton, Ga., is eliminating about 140 positions as part of an effort to cut $12 million from its budget, officials said Tuesday.
Some empty positions will be cut and some employees shifted to other departments, so only 35 to 45 workers actually will lose their jobs, said Lamar Lyle, board chairman for Hamilton Health Care System.
The layoffs are across-the-board and include senior executives, he said. Employees began receiving notices Monday, and layoffs probably will continue through the middle of next week, he said.
“I think when it’s over with, the hospital is going to be positioned to be a very financially viable operation that takes care of our folks here in Dalton,” he said.
The nonprofit health care system owns and operates Hamilton Medical Center, a 282-bed acute-care facility in Dalton. The system, which employs about 1,900 people, also runs independent and assisted living facilities, four skilled nursing facilities, two low-income senior housing units and a philanthropic foundation, and it operates Murray Medical Center in Chatsworth, Ga., according to its website.
Eight out of 1,200 employees at Hamilton Medical Center were notified Monday that their jobs had been cut, health system spokesman Daryl Cole said.
Forthcoming cuts may include reductions at the health system’s other affiliates, except for Murray Medical Center, which underwent cuts in August, he said.
Hamilton Health Care System President and CEO Jeff Myers said in an e-mailed statement that restructuring and job cuts are “never easy.”
“We knew we would have to make some tough decisions to be well positioned for a positive future,” he said. “I know this process is difficult for all our associates, and I really appreciate their continued commitment to providing quality care to our patients.”
The cuts will put Hamilton in a more financially stable position, Cole said.
In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, “the system didn’t actually lose money, but it wasn’t in a position of having strong financial viability,” Cole said.
Leaders of Hamilton Health Care System also are looking to renegotiate supplier contracts and are considering other ways to reach $12 million in savings, Lyle said.
“We’re looking at the entire organization, how we can do business better,” he said.
Contact Emily Bregel at ebregel@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6467.