UPDATED: One position cut at The Outer Banks Hospital as part of Vidant layoffs

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Vidant Health, which operates The Outer Banks Hospital, is laying off 191 workers as the health system faces a multi-million dollar budget shortfall.

A statement issued Monday afternoon by the company said one position at the hospital in Nags Head would be eliminated, but a press release did not go into specifics.

Dr. Michael Waldrum, Vidant Health CEO, said in an email to employees Monday the layoffs follow efforts to “reduce costs, implement operational efficiencies and discontinue recruitment and hiring for certain non-patient care positions.”

The company was hit with an $18 million operating deficit for the first quarter of 2020, blamed on increasing costs, decreased reimbursements from Medicaid and private insurance, the lack of Medicaid expansion by state leaders and other factors.

Layoffs had been hinted last month within the company that is the largest private employer in eastern North Carolina, with eight hospitals and more than 14,000 employees across 29 counties.

The majority of the layoffs, 157, took place at the company’s headquarters and Vidant Medical Center, both in Greenvile.

“Saying goodbye to team members who we have worked alongside and care about is not easy,” Waldrum said. “We are ensuring those impacted are supported by providing severance and comprehensive career counselling services.”

“I deeply value the contributions made by everyone on the Vidant team, and we will do everything we can to support those impacted by this reduction,” Waldrum said.

Locations impacted by the layoffs:

    Vidant Health Corporate: 82
    Vidant Medical Center: 75
    Vidant Medical Group: 11
    Vidant Beaufort: 7
    Vidant Edgecombe: 4
    Vidant Roanoke-Chowan: 4
    Vidant North: 3
    Vidant Chowan: 2
    Vidant Duplin: 2
    The Outer Banks Hospital: 1
    Vidant Bertie: 0

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Sam Walker was news director for OBXToday.com, Beach 104, 99.1 The Sound, Big 94.5 WCMS and Z 92.3 from August 2011 to March 2022.