Mammoth Hospital, hit with a low patient census in February, now faces cutbacks in all departments. Lori Ciccarelli, Community Relations Director for Mammoth Hospital, called this a “proactive move by Administrator Gary Boyd.”mammoth_hospital_entrance

Ciccarelli said Mammoth Hospital will look at a 5% cut in March. She said in March, everyone will take one day per month off or within a department the equivalent of one day per month per employee. The day off can be without pay or personal time off. Depending on how business goes, April, May and June could bring about a 10% cutback or two days per employee per month off.

Ciccarelli said that from senior management to the front lines, “We will all be doing this as a team.” She said that economic times make it necessary to tackle these adjustments. “We have to look at new ways of doing things,” she said.

For now, the cuts amount to employee days off, but at the start of the new fiscal year in July each hospital department will be challenged to cut their operations budgets by 6%.

Hospital Administrator Gary Boyd added that next fiscal year the hospital will address different cuts to keep hospital charges at a minimum. He said that they do not want to raise prices for patients. Boyd also indicated that Mammoth Hospital will look at a 5% merit and wage adjustment, keeping the California Hospital Association wage index in mind to keep things equitable and competitive.

Ciccarelli does believe the lack of patients at the hospital is reflective of economic times that have affected the whole community.

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