Ascension confirms layoffs in Texas

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Healthcare company Ascension has confirmed it laid off employees in Texas.

KXAN asked the healthcare provider for more information about how many employees were laid off, what positions were impacted and if affected employees received severance packages.

This was Ascension Texas' statement to KXAN:

The global COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant operational toll on health systems across the country, and Ascension Texas is no exception.

We continue to evolve how we deliver care in this challenging environment and further align our strategies and structure to best support patient care initiatives in order to ensure the long-term strength of our organization as we continue to deliver compassionate, personalized care to all.

Every effort was made to minimize the impact on patient care at the bedside and we focused primarily on non-clinical support roles.

Ascension Texas

Ascension also did not provide information on which facilities were impacted by layoffs. The company has Texas locations in Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Kyle and Waco, according to its website.

A spokesperson from National Nurses United, a union group, said the union has not been notified of nurse layoffs at the hospital. Last September, 800 nurses at Ascension Seton Medical Center voted to unionize.

Ascension Seton is one of the Austin region's top employers with over 11,000 employees, according to the Austin Chamber of Commerce's May 2022 employee update.

These layoffs follow other healthcare layoffs in the Austin metro. Austin Radiological Association said it laid off less than 5% of its workforce in December but did not provide the number of employees impacted.

Note: KXAN has requested further information from Ascension Seton. This article will be updated as information is received.