BMC lays off 119 employees

The Boston Medical Center laid off 119 employees as part of an “efficiency push” meant to deal with significant monetary losses, according to a statement from the hospital on Monday.

“The hospital is projected to lose $175 million this year due to dramatic changes in Medicaid reimbursements,” said Tom Traylor, BMC’s vice president of federal, state and local programs, in the statement.

Traylor called the layoffs a “necessary element of addressing the hospital’s financial situation.”

“We have been talking to the staff about this new reality for well over a year, and have been working to assess and increase efficiency in every corner of the hospital,” he said.

“We have been consulting with outside experts to study the efficiency of delivery of patient care, and they found very little excess capacity particularly in terms of hospital staffing levels.”

BMC notified its employees on Friday about the layoffs, which will take effect on Oct. 1, according to the statement.