Employees at Summa Health based in Akron, Ohio, are facing layoffs, but hospital officials aren't commenting on the breadth of the staff reduction.
Asked about the layoffs, Summa spokesman Mike Bernstein issued a statement via email. “The decision to reduce staff is never easy and is done only following a thoughtful analysis of the needs of our patients, the community and the organization,” Bernstein wrote.
Staffing levels at healthcare organizations across the nation and region are changing as the delivery of healthcare continues to evolve, the statement continued.
“This is true for Summa as we move away from the costly fee-for-service model of care and towards a population health model in which we hold ourselves not only clinically responsible, but also financially accountable for health outcomes in the community,” Bernstein wrote. “To achieve this vision, we must sometimes make difficult decisions that are ultimately in the best interests of the people we serve.”
Bernstein declined to provide any further information.