Carson Tahoe Regional Healthcare cutting staff

Facing a tough economic climate, Carson Tahoe Regional Healthcare is reducing support staffing to cut costs for 2009.

CTRH is eliminating 45 full-time equivalent positions, which will affect about 30 current employees, according to President and CEO Ed Epperson. He said he didn't have a firm number of exactly how many of the organization's 1,232 employees would be losing their jobs, since some of the positions being cut are currently unfilled, while some employees will be moved to other positions.

Epperson said none of the positions being cut deals directly with inpatient care. No departments or services will be eliminated, but some will be re-evaluated to find ways to be more cost effective.

"The big driver is the economy," Epperson said. "We are seeing the same trend of less patient activity. People are putting off getting care, people are losing their health insurance."

A big factor is the rise of uncollectable debt the company is expected to accumulate for 2009. Epperson said they have budgeted $25.5 million for bad debts in 2009, which is $10 million greater than what they had in 2007.

"That's not insurance discounts, and that's not charity care. That's just uncollectable debt," Epperson said.

To help make up for the cuts, some services like medical record transcription will be outsourced. Programs like diabetes education will be restructured with reduced hours.

Those workers losing their jobs will be the first ones in line for rehiring when the economic conditions warrant, Epperson said.

"We will continue to provide excellent, outstanding care, and we have to react to these economic forces out of our control," Epperson said.

Contact reporter Kirk Caraway at kcaraway@nevadaappeal.com or (775) 881-1261.