SARASOTA – As the number of positive coronavirus cases reaches more than 10,000 patients one Suncoast hospital is planning on placing staff on furlough.
Sarasota Memorial Hospital made a shocking announcement Friday afternoon…they plan to furlough staff at the hospital due to low patient volume and loss of revenue. In a statement sent to SNN, the hospital staff reported a $16 million less in revenue in March and with inpatients falling by 30%.
Staff at SMH was made aware of the potential furloughs at the hospital via a letter informing them administration plans to reduce costs immediately. In the letter CEO David Verinder says “As the health care safety net for the region, we must do all we can to continue fulfilling that critical role in the weeks ahead and for the long-term.”
The furlough announcement comes after SMH reports three new patients testing positive for the virus. The hospital reports having a total of 28 patients currently hospitalize for coronavirus while nine employees are being closely monitored at home.
SNN reached out to hospital officials but were not immediately available for comment, but released a statement to SNN saying, “We have not asked for state or federal help yet. While we understand that funds may be available at some point, there is no application process established yet, so we do not know when or how much assistance will become available. The staffing changes will not affect the care of COVID-19 or any other patients. We have not finalized the staffing plan yet, but the majority of people affected will be non-clinical services.”
In the letter staff was told furloughed staff will not lose their position and will be called back to work as soon as the hospital resumes normal operations. A nurse working for the hospital told SNN off-camera they’ve been told to seek unemployment benefits to cover any lost wages.
Hospital officials say they’re expecting an even greater financial hit in April and May. The number of employees expected to be furloughed has not released at this time.
SNN has also reached out to Congressman Vern Buchanan and State Senator Joe Gruters for comment. Neither were immediately available for comment.
This is a developing story and we’ll update you as soon as soon as new information becomes available.
