Northwell Health eliminates 'limited number' of jobs

Northwell Health has eliminated a "limited number of positions" from its facilities on Long Island, in New York City and Westchester in recent weeks as part of a plan to reduce spending, officials said Friday. They wouldn’t disclose specifically how many people are impacted, but said that it is less than 1% of its workforce.

In a statement, New Hyde Park-based Northwell, the state’s largest health system and private employer, said it is trying to match those employees with available jobs.

"In today’s economic and policy environment, we’ve taken a number of steps to manage resources responsibly — including reducing spending and pacing the timing of certain investments," the statement read. "Decisions like this are never taken lightly."

Northwell Health has more than 100,000 employees and 28 hospitals in New York and Connecticut.

Last month, 15 full-time Emergency Medical Service personnel at Northwell's Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan were laid off in an effort to "optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations," the health system said in a statement.

According to 1199SEIU, which represents those workers, most are taking other jobs in the Northwell system.

With possible federal government cuts to Medicare and Medicaid looming, as well as reduced subsidies for certain people who get health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, health systems are bracing for a difficult future. Dozens have already announced layoffs in recent months.

Locally, Catholic Health said in May it was laying off 1% of its more than 17,000 employees. Also that month, New York-Presbyterian announced 2% across the board layoffs. Memorial Sloan Kettering has said it plans to layoff almost 2% of its workforce.

Greater New York Hospital Association President Kenneth E. Raske has recently said hospitals are preparing for the "largest health care cuts in American history" under the federal "One Big Beautiful Bill Act."

While he was not addressing the specific cuts at Northwell, Raske in an op-ed said the federal law will cut $8 billion from New York’s hospitals and trigger a loss of an estimated 34,000 hospital jobs statewide when it is fully implemented.

"Some institutions have already announced layoffs," he wrote. "Many more are certain to follow. It is an agonizing decision that no hospital ever wants to make."

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.