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Seventy-three health care professionals have lost their jobs with the University of Texas Medical Branch. The layoffs are intended to improve efficiency at the academic medical center.
Nurses, pharmacists and even chaplains are joining the unemployment lines. Two departments, pastoral care and senior services, were gutted entirely.
Budget cuts will also reduce the facility’s ability to care for indigent patients.
University officials cut the jobs in the wake of a $50 million dollar deficit in the hospital’s 2009 budget of $1.61 billion.
“Layoffs are difficult and used as a last resort but are very necessary for business,” according to medical branch CEO Karen Sexton.
Two years ago, the Galveston-based university laid off 381 medical employees.
