10: The Newest Chapter in the Evolution of Roseburg’s Mercy Health: Layoffs and Restructuring for Long-term Sustainability.

In the coming month, CHI Mercy Health and Centennial Medical Group in Roseburg will be cutting 18 jobs, primarily in leadership support roles. Russell Woolley, CEO and President of Mercy Health, stated that financial pressures and workforce challenges within the health system were key factors leading to this decision.

With approximately 1,300 employees currently working at the hospital and medical group, this reduction in workforce follows a similar action taken last spring when 50 full-time employees lost their jobs at Mercy Health. In response, hospital leadership has been encouraging displaced employees to consider applying for other job openings within the organization or elsewhere.

Mercy Health has been operating as a hospital in Roseburg for the past 115 years, and its leadership regularly evaluates operational performance to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organization. As part of the restructuring process, improvements in scheduling efficiencies, natural employee attrition, agency elimination, and reducing contract services will be implemented. It is not clear how many additional positions have been impacted by these changes.

Woolley emphasized that the main goal of the restructuring is to establish a more stable financial foundation that will ultimately enable the organization to expand rather than reduce patient care services. Currently, Mercy Health operates as a 174-bed medical center.