As part of systemwide layoffs of 347, Mercy Springfield Communities let go of 127 people, according to a statement released this morning by the health system.
The layoffs affect a variety of departments and services in the local region that includes Mercy Hospital Springfield, Mercy Clinic and five regional hospitals in Lebanon, Aurora, Cassville, Mountain View and Berryville, Ark.
Of the 347 positions eliminated in Mercy’s four-state region of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas, 178 are leadership roles. The majority of affected nonleader employees are nonpatient care positions, according to the statement.
“Changes such as these are difficult and distressing for everyone involved,” said Lynn Britton, president and CEO of St. Louis-based Mercy, in the statement. “While our decisions support Mercy’s ability to stay strong and relevant in the face of challenges impacting all health care providers, today our thoughts and prayers are with those co-workers who are affected.”
Springfield Business Journal last week confirmed up to 350 layoffs systemwide would be affected, but at the time, officials would not release a local figure. A statement released to SBJ on June 17 indicated the layoffs were being conducted as a cost-saving measure in the face of budget cuts brought on by the Affordable Care Act.
The layoffs amount to less than 1 percent of Mercy’s nearly 40,000-employee workforce. In the Springfield area, the health system employs over 9,000, making it No. 1 on SBJ’s list of the Area’s Largest Employers. Mercy Springfield Communities reported local revenue of $1.57 billion in 2014, up from $1.55 billion in 2013, according to SBJ research.
Last year, Mercy laid off 42 in Springfield as part of a systemwide elimination of 220 jobs, which also were mostly management roles, according to
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