Aberdeen Hospital has Fewer Patients, Trims Staff
ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) — Avera St. Luke's Hospital in Aberdeen has laid off a few employees and is offering early retirement to others in response to a drop in patient numbers.
The American News reports (http://bit.ly/1boEqwx ) that the number of employees affected will be at the most a dozen. Avera employs about 1,350 workers in Aberdeen.
President and CEO Todd Forkel says the hospital strives to keep its staff at a level that matches patient volume. He says the hospital tries to make reductions through attrition and early retirements, and that layoffs are a last resort.
The hospital says workers who lost their jobs are in support areas and not directly involved in patient care.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.