Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 21, 1993 TAG: 9310210174
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Short
Robert Terrell Jr., administrator and chief executive officer, said 20 to 22 employees would be laid off while others would have their hours reduced. The hospital has also cut nine other positions in the last month through retirement and attrition.
Patient loads have increased at the hospital in the last year, but the average length of stay has declined from 30 days to 10 days, Terrell said.
"The dramatic change has occurred so rapidly that we cannot rely on normal attrition to manage our staffing needs," he said. "The reduction of hours and elimination of staff positions was our last choice, and we regret that this was necessary."
The hospital administrator said changes in health insurance plans have caused a shift to partial hospitalization and outpatient treatment in place of longer inpatient treatment.
The layoffs leave the hospital with roughly 250 employees. Saint Albans laid off about 50 workers near the end of last year.
Saint Albans, an affiliate of Carilion Health System, is licensed for 162 beds and operates eight outpatient clinics across Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia.
Terrell said every effort will be made to find laid-off workers other jobs in the Carilion system.
by CNB