BOSTON – Brigham & Women’s Hospital is offering voluntary buyouts to approximately 1,600 workers, according to a report in The Boston Globe.
The news comes a week after Care New England announced it has signed a letter of intent to join with Partners HealthCare of Massachusetts, the Boston-based parent of Brigham & Women’s. Partners is Massachusetts’ largest health care network with approximately 18,000 employees.
Both systems are dealing with financial troubles.
Care New England said Wednesday it planned to lay off an unspecified number of employees due to financial challenges. A union representative said it was told seven employees would lose their jobs at CNE’s Women & Infants Hospital.
The Globe report said that layoffs were likely later this year at Brigham & Women’s, depending on how many people take the buyout.
The newspaper said buyouts are being offered to control costs.
Workers must be 60 or older to be eligible for the offer, which features one year of base pay. However, approximately 5,300 physicians, faculty and research staff will be excluded from the early retirement offer, the report said.
