In a devastating blow to LaPorte County, 112 people were laid off in a cost saving measure at IU Health LaPorte Hospital. It is not known at this time how many were Starke County residents. The LaPorte facility employs 1,700 people.
According to IU Health Starke Hospital officials, no employees from this health care facility were furloughed.
“It absolutely did not impact any employees at Starke Hospital,” said CEO Linda Satkoski. “We have had no reduction in workforce here at Starke Hospital and have no intentions to have a reduction. It all occurred in the LaPorte Hospital and within the physician network, but nothing affected Starke Hospital.”
The LaPorte Hospital layoffs were due to the number of uninsured and under-insured patients coming through the hospital. Satkoski said all hospitals are effected by that to a certain extent, but at Starke there is good news.
“The staff, the Management Group, the physicians – we’ve had some real turn around in the month of April,” she said. “We had a good joint commission survey, which is our accreditation, and we had excellent news. This is Hospital Week and Nurses Week and we intend to celebrate with our employees. People like to eat so we’re going to have some games and have fun this week because we feel our employees absolutely deserve to celebrate.”
She said the numbers are encouraging.
“We’re getting busier, patients here are satisfied, the physicians have been satisfied and we continue to grow. We’re just very, very pleased with what we’re seeing here at the hospital.”
