PARKERSBURG - A total of 21 Camden Clark Medical Center employees lost their jobs Thursday due to a decrease in patient volume over the last two years.
CCMC spokesman Tim Brunicardi confirmed the reduction in force Friday, saying 14 people from the Memorial Campus and seven from the St. Joseph's Campus were released on Thursday.
The released employees were offered severance benefits and assistance and will be strongly considered for rehiring in the coming months if openings occur for which they are qualified, Brunicardi said.
Brunicardi provided a memo from CCMC President and CEO Mike King outlining the reasons for the reduction. In the memo, King said patient volumes at Camden Clark have declined "precipitously" over the last couple of years and he doesn't expect those volumes to rebound.
"Therefore it is apparent that we need to adjust our staffing to meet the volume of patients at Camden Clark Medical Center," King wrote in the memo.
Brunicardi said CCMC has seen a 15 percent decrease in patient volume over the last two years, a trend that is occurring nationwide. Improvements in technology and care are among the factors that have contributed to fewer and shorter overnight stays for patients across the country, he said.
The positions are mainly in support services, including laboratory, imaging, respiratory care, housekeeping, bio-med and transcription. Administrative positions in employee health, human resources, education and guest relations are also being eliminated, the memo said.
Brunicardi said hospital officials tried different options, including not filling vacant positions, before reaching the point where the reduction was deemed necessary. No further reductions are planned at this time, he said.
