Hospital Announces Layoffs

The initiative includes a range of purposeful modifications, including tighter productivity standards, expense reduction, increased focus on payment collection and workforce reduction of approximately 5 %. Like many hospitals across the nation, San Juan Regional Medical Center is facing unprecedented financial difficulty. This, coupled with regional economic challenges requires that the hospital make changes that will ultimately improve productivity and efficiency in how care is provided to the community.

From San Juan Regional Medical Center:

Thursday, June 27, 2019

As part of a Financial Performance Improvement Plan, San Juan Regional Medical Center has implemented a Workforce Planning Initiative to strengthen the organization financially with the overall goal to continue a long history of meeting the healthcare needs of the Four Corners area. The multifaceted initiative will align the hospital with typical industry best practices and will maintain the current nurse-to-patient ratio for inpatient care.

The initiative includes a range of purposeful modifications, including tighter productivity standards, expense reduction, increased focus on payment collection and workforce reduction of approximately 5 %.

Like many hospitals across the nation, San Juan Regional Medical Center is facing unprecedented financial difficulty. This, coupled with regional economic challenges requires that the hospital make changes that will ultimately improve productivity and efficiency in how care is provided to the community.

“San Juan County and the Four Corners have experienced considerable economic turmoil over the last several years. We have witnessed cut backs in nearly every industry. Unfortunately, our organization is not immune to these same financial challenges. Throughout our hospital’s evolution, we remain dedicated to our mission: the ability to serve our community,” said CEO, Jeff Bourgeois. “In order to remain a sustainable contributor to the Four Corners area, we must face our new financial reality head-on and make some tough decisions, including this workforce reduction. Over the past several years, we’ve experienced significant and declining supplemental payment program funding, fewer patients with commercial insurance coverage and more patients with lower reimbursement from governmental programs, a decrease in inpatient admissions due to declining area population, as well as an industry-wide transition where more services are being provided in the outpatient setting.”

The workforce initiative is projected to result in substantial annual savings and allow us to remain a strong, independent, community-owned hospital. “With these efforts, we feel confident we can meet our financial responsibilities and continue to provide high quality healthcare to the patients we are privileged to serve,” said Ron Rosen, Board Chair. “Our Board of Directors fully supports these initiatives and wishes to thank our community for their support.”

More from Local News

  • Lauren Laws Named Interim Superintendent for Aztec Schools

    For 15 years, Lauren Laws has dedicated her career to Aztec Schools, beginning as a Special Education teacher in 2008. In 2010 she transitioned to General Education, where she spent six years in the classroom working with 4th and 5th graders at Park Avenue Elementary while completing work on her Master's Degree. During her tenure at Park Avenue Elementary, she also served a Lead Teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Lauren has spent the past three years serving as the Associate Superintendent of Teaching and Learning for the district.

  • Durango Picks Brice Current to be New Police Chief

    Brice Current was a former narcotics agent with the San Juan County Sheriff's Office in Aztec, NM. He was hired as Durango's Deputy Police Chief in 2019.

  • Waterflow Fire Kills 1

     Crews arrived to find a camp trailer on fire and one occupant still inside. Another occupant was transported to the hospital with minor injuries and has since been released. Despite a quick response from fire crews, one occupant was found dead in the trailer after the fire was extinguished.  The name of the deceased is not yet released. 

  • Farmington Schools Hires first Armed Campus Safety Monitor

     The FMS Board of Education authorized school security personnel to carry firearms on school premises during their January 9, 2024, meeting. The move paved the way for the hiring of Armed Campus Safety Monitors (ACSMs), former certified law enforcement officers tasked with providing an additional layer of protection for students and staff during emergencies.

  • City Breaks Ground on Pinon Hills Extension

    Farmington Officials gathered with representatives from the NM Department of Transportation and San Juan County to break ground on the long-anticipated Pinon Hills Boulevard Extension Project. San Juan County announced that design work on their section of the project is 90% completed.

  • Back to Bloomfield: Summers Selected as New Superintendent

    Kevin Summers will be returning to the Bloomfield School District as Superintendent, after the retirement of Dr. Kim Mizell at the end of the current school year. Summers' hire makes an opening in the Superintendent's Office in Aztec where he has served for the past three years.

On KSJE Now:

Today's Weather

  • Farmington, NM

    Sunny intervals

    High: 68°F | Low: 43°F

  • Durango, CO

    Sunny intervals

    High: 66°F | Low: 39°F

  • Shiprock, NM

    Sunny intervals

    High: 70°F | Low: 46°F

  • Cortez, CO

    Thundery shower

    High: 66°F | Low: 39°F

  • Santa Fe, NM

    Sunny intervals

    High: 66°F | Low: 39°F