UMass hospital system to shed up to 900 jobs

UMass Memorial Health Care, which lost money in the last three months of 2011 amid shrinking patient volume, told its employees yesterday that it will shed 700 to 900 jobs, about 6 percent of its workforce, through a combination of layoffs at its flagship hospital and selling divisions that provide health services. The health care system, which operates UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester and four community hospitals, is the largest employer in central Massachusetts, with about 13,500 workers.