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Mass General Brigham’s second round of major layoffs begins this week
The hospital giant, one of the state's top employers, said it is “acting now” to close its $250 million budget gap over the next two years.
The second and final round of the largest layoffs in the history of Mass General Brigham began Monday, where possibly hundreds of management and administrative positions could be cut to alleviate a $250 million budget shortfall.
Notifications of the layoffs, part of a restructuring process that began in February, will be completed by the end of the week, MGB President and CEO Anne Klibanski wrote in an email to staff Monday obtained by Boston.com.
“This decision was reached by clinical, academic and administrative leaders from across our system after thoughtfully considering the current healthcare landscape and our poor financial performance over the past several years,” Klibanski wrote. “While we will continuously refine our management structures, as we always have, this marks the end of the workforce action that began on February 10th.”
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The hospital giant, one of the top employers in the state, is “acting now” to close the anticipated $250 million budget gap over the next two years, Jennifer Street, senior vice president of communications at MGB, said in a statement.
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“We are consolidating certain management and administrative positions throughout the system to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and maximize support for frontline clinicians,” Street said. “This decision is necessary despite years of diligently promoting a culture of responsible resource stewardship and developing initiatives that generate diversified sources of revenue.”
MGB, formerly Partners HealthCare, includes Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and other specialty hospitals. Affected employees will receive market competitive severance packages and benefits coverage, Street said. It’s unclear how many employees could be laid off.
Claire Bloom, a primary care doctor at MGH, told Boston.com last week that the layoffs, which affected her practice’s manager, “has really led to an incredible drop in morale.”
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“There’s nobody that I know of who has boots on the ground, who’s doing the basic work – the doctors, the nurses, nurse practitioners – who feel like this is a good thing,” she said. “The organization is making changes that seem to be, in my opinion, kind of driven by an ethos as if this is private equity, where you take over something and squeeze the dollars out of it.”
Bloom pointed to reports that Klibanski’s pay has rocketed in recent years. She received $6 million in 2022, an 11.6 percent increase from 2021, according to recent filed tax reports. Her pay is a 40 percent increase from 2020, when she made about $4.3 million, according to the most recent tax reports filed last fall.
“We all feel a sense of loss when valued colleagues depart,” Klibanski wrote to staff. “We remain committed to treating all employees with dignity and respect, especially those directly affected. Together, we are building the strong foundation needed to navigate the challenges ahead and sustain the excellence that has long defined our Mass General Brigham community.”
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