Hundreds of employees are being laid off from Memorial Health. In an official statement, the organization says the restructuring and reduction of its workforce focuses primarily on leadership, administrative and support positions. The downsizing includes 20 percent of leadership positions across the organization.

CEO Ed Curtis says the difficult decision was made after careful analysis and implementation of other cost-saving measures. He adds that “Memorial Health is not immune to the rising cost of supplies and equipment, high cost of labor and shifting trends in payer reimbursements.”

The reduction represents five percent of Memorial Health’s total salary and benefits. Memorial Health says laid off employees will receive a severance package, health insurance stipend and support resources.