St. Mary’s Health Center to lay off nearly a dozen workers

Two medical centers in Mid-Missouri will lay off nearly a dozen employees.

Last week, St. Louis-based SSM Health Care announced it would cut approximately 600 positions in four states. SSM operates St. Mary’s Health Center and Audrain Medical Center in central Missouri.

A St. Mary’s spokesman told ABC 17 News Wednesday that about ten employees would be laid off at both locations.

Some of those positions will be cut while some spots will not be refilled when the current employee leaves.

The spokesman said employees would be able reapply for other positions throughout the company, but one employee told ABC 17 News his position ends next week and it is not clear what he might do.

All of the affected positions involved non-patient care and mainly deal with administrative work.

A statement from SSM earlier this month said health care organizations are facing “unprecedented changes and challenges,” including a shift to more outpatient settings, reduced reimbursement from federal payers, increased bad debt and charity care, and the financial impacts from sequestration.

The laid off employees will receive 60 days of pay and a severance package.

St. Mary’s officials say they will have approximately 1,100 employees when the center moves to its new location next year.

The new $200 million St. Mary’s Health Center is scheduled to open in Nov. 2014.