HIStalk Advisory Panel: IT Department Layoffs

The HIStalk Advisory Panel is a group of hospital CIOs, hospital CMIOs, practicing physicians, and a few vendor executives who have volunteered to provide their thoughts on topical industry issues. I’ll seek their input every month or so on an important news developments and also ask the non-vendor members about their recent experience with vendors. E-mail me to suggest an issue for their consideration.

If you work for a hospital or practice, you are welcome to join the panel. I am grateful to the HIStalk Advisory Panel members for their help in making HIStalk better.

This question this time: Has the IT department laid anyone off in the past year?

Our local IT department had to let go of people, but the biggest loss we witnessed was the whole CIO’s team as well as the CMO being gone as the hospital chain got bought by a larger organization. Many of us are very apprehensive as "bigger does not mean better" always and the vacuum created may be filled in a hurry by hubris. The jury is still out on that one and  I will be happy to share any happy endings if we should have any.

No.

No layoffs. We have implemented approximately 20 applications the past 18 months and assumed responsibility for another six systems that had been managed by other departments. We added four FTEs to our staff the previous year and have 4-5 contractors at any given time.   

We are still hiring, but have laid off a number of consultants.  

No layoffs. We need all the people we have. 

Are you kidding me? Our problem is not being able to keep good staff. But who can blame them? We underpay them compared to vendors, we overwork them, and we don’t let them be innovative. No wonder they are jumping to startups and vendors so quickly. We are learning and trying to improve on each of those issues, but it’s still new stuff for large healthcare organizations.

Yes. Consequent to budget cutting. 

No. We added staff.

No layoffs this year, thank God.

No, but some have left due to burnout and boredom and stress.

No. There have been some reductions in other areas of the health system, However, they have not impacted IT. Justification for open and new positions is much more highly scrutinized, though.

No layoffs so far.

Not in the last year, fortunately.