Detroit Medical Center became the latest hospital to furlough workers amid a growing cash crisis facing healthcare facilities due to COVID-19.
The hospital’s CEO announced Wednesday that it will furlough 480 workers that are not on the frontlines of the COVID-19 outbreak or other critical patient needs. The hospital follows other major hospitals and health systems that have been forced to furlough workers as patient volume has plummeted and a loss of revenue from elective procedures.
“Our expectation is that we can return impacted staff to service once we navigate through this unprecedented time and our core business gets back to normal,” said CEO Audrey Gregory in a statement on Wednesday.
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Gregory added that the system will provide all furloughed workers with medical benefits at no cost to them.
“In addition, we are offering information to impacted employees so that they may access salary protection through enhanced state unemployment benefits that are available to them,” she added. “For many roles, these benefits could provide eligible individuals with a significant majority of their income as a replacement.”
Gregory added that the actions don’t impact direct bedside nursing care for COVID-19 or impact emergency care.
“We remain appropriately staffed to provide our full support to treat patients in greater Detroit,” Gregory said.
The system is comprised of eight hospitals and around 12,000 employees.
Detroit Medical Center isn’t the only system to furlough workers as a result of COVID-19.
Trinity Health, Bon Secours and other systems have had to furlough workers that aren’t on the front lines.