UPMC cost cutting, especially at Presby and Shadyside

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Sep 28, 2008

I've been folowing the UPMC potential lay off stories with interest. Call me stupid, but if they couldn't afford to keep Presby and Shadyside fully staffed, why buy Mercy? I think UPMC could do a much better job than they do of managing funds. And it's the patients that end up suffering.

danh3190 · Sep 28, 2008

I'm the newest hire on my floor at Shadyside. Guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed. I had enough trouble getting this job!

oramar · Sep 30, 2008

I'm the newest hire on my floor at Shadyside. Guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed. I had enough trouble getting this job!

There is absolutely no reason for you to worry. I have friends who are working at Shadyside and Presby, they say the census is consistantly high. They say word from their managers is that there are no layoffs planned to direct care staff whatsoever. A few NON nursing departments may experience restrictions on filling open positions or have their hours cut, there is a small possibility of layoffs in those same departments. However, the worst thing nursing departments will experience is pressure to keep overtime hours to a minimum. They may not be as quick to hire but they will not be laying off. At the moment no one seems to think there will be layoffs in nursing departments. Honestly, I don't like the thought that my posting this would cause you any stress because you need not be concerned. I think a lot of hospitals are doing this same thing but you won't see an article in the paper about it. Now it is not like the CEO called me, but several different people told me the same thing not knowing I had spoken to others.

allnurses Guide · Oct 1, 2008

Do you think they knew when they bought Mercy what the economy was going to do? I don't think many people foresaw the degree of financial impairment to come.

K98 · Oct 2, 2008

The Evil Empire isn't the only health system in western PA cutting back. WPAHS "over-estimated" it's income by 73 million (oops) and is cutting back on ancillary staff, as well as things like linens and patient care materials. Thankfully, no executive salaries have been harmed (heh). BTW, that yo-yo from the SEIU and his henchmen are sucking around a million dollars per year from the RNs at AGH. Maybe they are putting a BIG sign on the SEIU building...

jyoung1950 · Oct 4, 2008

OK, so the hospitals cut back on ancillary staff, such as food service, housekeeping service, central supply personnel. I don't know about you but I wonder who will pick up the slack to pass the trays around, empty the garbage, get supplies and so forth. I guess the already overworked nursing assistants and techs can go do all that stuff.

These hospitals need to look at their management personnel and the bonuses they give the higher ups first before they get rid of a single $10.00 an hour employee who is helping with patient care, even if it is indirect.

The more of those folks that get cut or those departments that get weaned, the more work load on direct caregivers.

K98 · Oct 4, 2008

More workload on direct caregivers and fewer resources to do it with. WPHAS just did away with lift pads for patient beds, draw sheets will be used instead. I wonder how much this will save? If a nurse calls off, it's a catastrophe. If an executive doesn't show up for work, does anyone even notice?

Madscientist1 · Jan 26, 2009

These cost cuts and layoffs do affect patients and patient care staff, especially on weekends. Recently the cafeteria at montefiore has been closed on weekends and outpatients and families must walk across several bridges to presbyterian hospital to reach their cafeteria, a difficult task for someone who just had a transplant less than a week ago. The kitchen must still produce food for inpatients so they are only eliminating less than a dozen minimum wage jobs as servers, cashiers, and cleaning staff. Weekend registrations are a problem as only one registrar is available on weekends for all of presby and montefiore. They are not available until 9AM, our outpatients arrive at 6AM. Likewise there is often only one IV nurse and one enterostomal/wound care nurse for both hospitals on weekends. UPMC has eliminated vital staffing (their internal agency) resulting in more nurses being pulled to other floors and a higher patient to nurse ratio. I have been given limitations of only one sheet or 1 blanket per patient and only if they ask for them. I've been wrapping towels around pillows because we are not being stocked pillowcases. Cuts in secretarial staff has resulted in nurses spending more time answering phones and completing registrations and admission. Need some special equipment for a patient? Call central supply but expect to wait because one person is there for the whole hospital. Parking rates were raised to account for higher gas prices for the shuttles. Have they come back down with the drop in gas prices? No, and I won't hold my breath waiting.

I am proud to work in a top class system that provides excellent care and good patient outcomes but it doesn't feel first class when you can't give a patient an extra blanket, or get housekeeping to clean a bathroom, or send them to the cafeteria for breakfast. If they can make it to presbyterian cafeteria they can enjoy our newly renovated bridge with its artwork and 17 flat panel TVs displaying scrolling UPMC advertisements. If they can't walk that far I can get them some graham crackers and they can look out the window at the UPMC logo on top of the US Steel building. Just where do the priorities lie?

oramar · Jan 30, 2009

These cost cuts and layoffs do affect patients and patient care staff, especially on weekends. Recently the cafeteria at montefiore has been closed on weekends and outpatients and families must walk across several bridges to presbyterian hospital to reach their cafeteria, a difficult task for someone who just had a transplant less than a week ago. The kitchen must still produce food for inpatients so they are only eliminating less than a dozen minimum wage jobs as servers, cashiers, and cleaning staff. Weekend registrations are a problem as only one registrar is available on weekends for all of presby and montefiore. They are not available until 9AM, our outpatients arrive at 6AM. Likewise there is often only one IV nurse and one enterostomal/wound care nurse for both hospitals on weekends. UPMC has eliminated vital staffing (their internal agency) resulting in more nurses being pulled to other floors and a higher patient to nurse ratio. I have been given limitations of only one sheet or 1 blanket per patient and only if they ask for them. I've been wrapping towels around pillows because we are not being stocked pillowcases. Cuts in secretarial staff has resulted in nurses spending more time answering phones and completing registrations and admission. Need some special equipment for a patient? Call central supply but expect to wait because one person is there for the whole hospital. Parking rates were raised to account for higher gas prices for the shuttles. Have they come back down with the drop in gas prices? No, and I won't hold my breath waiting.
I am proud to work in a top class system that provides excellent care and good patient outcomes but it doesn't feel first class when you can't give a patient an extra blanket, or get housekeeping to clean a bathroom, or send them to the cafeteria for breakfast. If they can make it to presbyterian cafeteria they can enjoy our newly renovated bridge with its artwork and 17 flat panel TVs displaying scrolling UPMC advertisements. If they can't walk that far I can get them some graham crackers and they can look out the window at the UPMC logo on top of the US Steel building. Just where do the priorities lie?

Wow, this really makes me shake my head. My guess there will be more incidents like that poor old lady that died on the roof. It kills me that no one is bringing up staffing in the investigation. I am willing to bet it was a factor.

allnurses Guide · Jan 30, 2009

Deleted

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Feb 19, 2009

I've been folowing the UPMC potential lay off stories with interest. Call me stupid, but if they couldn't afford to keep Presby and Shadyside fully staffed, why buy Mercy? I think UPMC could do a much better job than they do of managing funds. And it's the patients that end up suffering.

I have some insight into this. I worked at South Side UPMC as my first job. Now a travel nurse. Some nurses from my hospital went to Mercy after UPMC bought it.

South Side is now closed down. All the nurses and other people relocated to Mercy.

UPMC saw it this way..........instead of having two hospitals right across the river from one another that are both half staffed, shut one down and have one fully staffed hospital. I think they planned this from the start to be honest.

It was an ego thing though. Mercy took care of Ben Rothlesburger (I dont care about the spelling, not a Steelers fan) and got good publicity out of it. Plus Mercy's burn unit is very good. UPMC couldnt stand someone doing something better than them, especially with how close they were. So, bought them out and staffed it up.