The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston said that as of March 10, it has re-hired 415 employees after the system laid off about 2,450 of its workers a few months ago. In September, Hurricane Ike caused about $710 million in damage to the island hospital near Houston, which was “hemorrhaging” money by carrying a staff costing about $90 million per month, according to Marsha Canright, director of media relations at UTMB. But as the hospital continues to re-open various departments—and as it plans to re-open its emergency department this summer—it has given priority to those employees, mostly clinicians, who lost their jobs late last year.
UTMB is recruiting for 239 more positions, which Canright said are mostly nurses. The first department to re-open was obstetrics, and the hospital also has urgent-care departments for children and adults, a burn unit and day surgery; UTMB has between 250 and 275 daily admissions, according to Canright. She also said the University of Texas Board of Regents voted just last week that, depending on available financing, the system would keep the hospital on the island of Galveston. Earlier, a consultant’s report indicated it would be better to move the health system services inland.
