The Lynchburg-based healthcare system Centra said Monday that it will lay off 90 employees, or about 1% of its total workforce, effective this week.
Of those 90, about 35 will be given opportunities to fill open positions at Centra.
The cuts are part of “a comprehensive effort to meet our mission today and in the decades ahead,” the nonprofit said in a statement.
“We continue to hire in key areas, including clinical roles and services such as nurses and providers,” Centra said. “In addition to today’s action, over the last several months we have used natural attrition and not replaced people as they leave the organization and made smaller adjustments in some administrative functions.”
Centra said that it has “identified opportunities to reduce redundancies, improve efficiency and align with industry benchmarks, particularly in administrative functions.”
“Restructuring also helps us adapt to the significant pressures facing healthcare providers including reductions in government reimbursements, economic challenges, shifting demographics and evolving technologies,” Centra said.
Centra operates Lynchburg General Hospital and Virginia Baptist Hospital in Lynchburg, as well as more than 100 medical facilities across central and southern Virginia, including in Bedford, Danville and Farmville. It serves more than 500,000 patients.
Centra spokesperson Emelyn Gwynn said that of the 90 positions cut, two are in Bedford, 12 are in Farmville and the remaining “are distributed across the region.”
Eligible employees will receive severance and access to COBRA for healthcare coverage, Centra said.
Virginia Career Works, a workforce development system and network of job centers, will provide support, spokesperson Tim Saunders said in a statement.
“We are providing one-on-one career counseling, reemployment services, job search assistance, resume support, and access to free career training opportunities, among other services,” Saunders said.
