Columbia, SC (WLTX) - One of the largest hospitals in South Carolina says 140 positions in the company have been eliminated in recent months, including 70 layoffs just this year.
Palmetto Health confirmed to News19 in an email Friday that the changes has been made.
The moves affected employees at Palmetto Health Richland and Palmetto Health-USC Medical Group.
The company says the moves were necessary as they tried to cut expenses and dealt with a decline in revenue. Since October, the company says they eliminated 70 positions through not filling open roles and redeploying team members. But they say that was not enough, so on January 3, the company got rid of another 70 other positions through a reduction in force.
Those employees were offered a severance package, outplacement services, and assistance applying for other positions within the company.
Palmetto Health says t did other cost-saving moves, including cutting out overtime and flexing staff hours. They say they tried to make sure the cuts didn't impact patient care.
"We value all the contributions each affected team member has made to our team and to the patients we serve," the company said in a statement. "These decisions were not based on job performance. Leaders considered a number of factors to determine which positions to eliminate within their areas. We are committed to treating everyone affected by this decision with the dignity and respect they deserve."
Palmetto Health announced last year they formed a partnership with Greenville Health throughout the state. The new, combined group will be known as Prisma Health.