Hospital lays off nearly all its assistant radiologic technologists amid pandemic-driven financial crunch
Vassar Brothers Medical Center is laying off nearly all of its radiology technologist assistants as the New York hospital says it is forced to combat financial losses inflicted by COVID-19.
The 365-bed hospital in Poughkeepsie notified 14 of its 19 technologists that their positions would be eliminated as of Jan. 1, the Daily Freeman reported. A spokesman for Nuvance Health, which operates Vassar Brothers, said the decision is being made to ensure the health system’s future success.
"Unfortunately, and as much as it saddens us to do so, we are forced to implement employee reductions as we look to staff our organization based on current and future needs," John R. Nelson, a Nuvance assistant vice president, wrote in an email statement to the Daily Freeman.
Others, including a local union representative, point out that Nuvance, which serves 1.5 million patients annually across seven hospitals, received millions in COVID relief from the federal CARES Act. And these 14 employees barely make $17.57 an hour, according to the news outlet, making little impact on the employer.
One radiologic technologist said the layoffs are going to make it more difficult to efficiently image patients and disinfect machines, particularly in MRI rooms.
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Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.