ValleyCare downsizing to affect 90

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

At least 90 ValleyCare Health System employees should know their fates by next week.

ValleyCare Health System, which bought the former Forum Health, announced Friday it will adjust the statuses of full-time positions, either though layoffs, department changes or reduced hours.

Eric Williams, president of Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association, said he will meet with ValleyCare officials Monday to discuss seven nursing positions at Northside Medical Center.

Nurses, through the YGDNA, agreed to extend their contracts for one year in May to give them more time to adjust to the sale of the former Forum Health to Community Health Systems, Williams said.

Forum was sold to Community Health for $120 million in October 2010.

Williams said he received a memo last week that outlined additional changes to ValleyCare’s organizational structure.

A ValleyCare representative declined to comment beyond a statement issued Friday.

“The hospitals have carefully analyzed their staffing needs to determine the appropriate adjustments across the system,” according to the statement. “Careful consideration has been given to ensure that patient care, quality and safety are never compromised.”

The affected positions are spread across several hospital departments, according to the release.

Many of the reductions were to nonclinical personnel; a few clinical positions were terminated, according to the hospital’s statement.

Reductions affected both union and nonunion employees, the company said.

ValleyCare Health System is composed of Northside in Youngstown, Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren and Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Howland.