Facing $30 million revenue shortfall, Mount Nittany Health announces reduction in positions
About 50 positions at Mount Nittany Health have been affected amid a restructuring necessitated by the “operational and financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the health care system announced Wednesday.
The restructuring and reductions of administrative and managerial positions are scheduled to occur in the next three weeks. The State College-based organization plans to offer support to affected employees.
The reductions are not temporary furloughs, a spokesperson said.
“We are very grateful for those who have made such important contributions to our organization and to the community over the years and during this public health crisis,” Mount Nittany Health President and CEO Kathleen Rhine said in a statement. “This was a difficult decision, but we must respond to the significant impact COVID-19 has had — and will continue to have — on our organization.”
The health care system is facing a $30 million revenue shortfall due in part to a significant reduction in volume over the last three months.
All areas of patient care, including admissions, emergency department visits, outpatient visits and surgical cases, are down between 50% to 80%, the organization wrote.
Mount Nittany is in the midst of a phased reopening of its non-emergency and elective services with a variety of mitigation measures, including increased time between surgical procedures, fewer patients in waiting areas and universal screening and masking.
Telehealth services remain available. Patients can sign up through Mount Nittany’s patient portal at mymountnittanyhealth.com.
“We face the same challenges as other healthcare systems across the country,” Rhine said. “We will continue to monitor operations and adapt in order to ensure we remain well positioned to serve the community.”
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 3:56 PM.