Mission Health sheds 130 jobs

Jon Ostendorff, jostendo@gannett.com 2:28 p.m. EDT September 29, 2014

Mission Health System is expanding in Haywood County.(Photo: Special to the Citizen-Times, Special to the Citizen-Times)

ASHEVILLE Mission Health System has cut 130 jobs but the layoffs come under a reorganization that will ultimately add more workers, CEO Ron Paulus said.

The company next year will end up with an increase of 147 jobs to handle growth in outpatient services, he said.

We are reshaping our organization to meet the needs of our community in the future and there will be more caregivers at Mission next year than there are here today, he said.

The company will also raise prices for some laboratory services under the plan.

The not-for-profit started reorganizing months ago with the goal of cutting $42 million in costs year-over-year and growing revenue by $10 million. That goal increased by $4.2 million this summer to cover additional staff for mental health services.

The company operates six hospitals in Western North Carolina and ambulatory care offices with about 10,000 employees. The company expects $1.5 billion in gross revenue next year.

Like other health systems nationwide, it is struggling with declining state and federal reimbursement rates.

Mission also wanted to give its employees a raise next year.

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Mission Health sheds 130 jobs