Washington hospital workers express concern over UPMC cuts
A representative for unionized employees at UPMC Washington said job cuts announced this week by the health system break a promise to invest in the community that was made when UPMC took over the hospital two years ago.
UPMC announced Tuesday that it was laying off 200 employees and eliminating 300 open positions throughout the hospital network, which employs about 100,000 people across four states. Neither SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, which represents workers at UPMC Washington, nor a UPMC spokeswoman said how many jobs would be lost at the hospital.
Charissa Ruth, a care partner and chapter president of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, said in a statement that UPMC Washington is understaffed and “we need more investment, not less.”
She also said the announced cuts “have created a feeling of distrust, uncertainty and fear of not knowing what our future holds. There’s been a lack of transparency and communication from UPMC, and we’re still not clear on the full scope of the cuts.”
UPMC said the cuts were mostly in jobs not related to patient care. It said severance pay and benefits were being offered to employees who were laid off. Lisa Lombardo, a spokeswoman for UPMC, said the cuts were part of a regular reassessment of the health system’s services “to ensure they match the needs of our patients and members.”
Lombardo also said, “Since becoming UPMC, UPMC Washington team members have gained access to enhanced pay and benefits, expanded career pathways and stronger professional development resources.”
Washington and Waynesburg hospitals became part of UPMC in 2024. In recent years, many independently operated hospitals in small communities or rural areas have become affiliated with larger hospital networks as the cost of operating medical centers has escalated. In 2000, Canonsburg Hospital became part of the West Penn Allegheny Health System, which was later rechristened the Allegheny Health Network. In 2020, Uniontown Hospital became part of the WVU Medicine system.
UPMC sustained losses in 2023 and 2024, and cut 1,000 jobs in 2024. It returned to the black last year and reported $261 million in operating income in the first quarter of this year. Ruth said UPMC should “use its massive resources … to increase, rather than reduce our staff. Every staff person at Washington has an essential role in making our hospital run.”
The union is calling on executives and members of the hospital board “to meet with us to discuss the challenges still facing our facility, and how they live up to their promise to invest in workers, so that we can ensure the highest quality care.”