Borrego Health to Lay-off 218 Staff, Cut Expenses

Affected staff have received 60-days' notice for the lay-offs, which will take effect on July 24.

Borrego Community Health Foundation has launched "a series of strategic initiatives" – including systemwide layoffs of 218 staff -- to protect its long-term financial viability and ensure access to safety-net care Riverside and San Diego counties.

The Borrego Springs-based nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center filed a federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, and the affected staff have received 60-days' notice for the lay-offs, which will take effect on July 24.

The layoffs include 11 in nursing, 14 in nursing support, 70 in clinic support, 37 in the call center, 18 phlebotomists and eight dental staff. No physicians or advanced practitioner providers will be laid off.

Borrego Health CEO Edgar Bulloch, MD, says that – like many providers across the nation – the Borrego Springs-based FQHC has been rocked by the financial ill-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Without question, the past 18 months have been significantly challenging for Borrego Health," Bulloch says. "As we work to navigate our financial and legal issues, we are driven forward by our mission to provide primary care to the underserved."

"Indeed, our patients in Riverside and San Diego counties need Borrego Health. That's why we’re doing everything we can to overcome our challenges, even though it means making difficult decisions regarding the size of our workforce and our operational structure."

Bulloch says that Borrego will work to align with industry benchmark data and best practices from other regional FQHCs to trim administrative and clinical teams.

The CEO stressed that the changes are needed to ensure Borrego Health's ability to meet the needs of patients, do not alter clinic hours or scheduled appointments.

In 2021, Borrego Health served more than 120,500 patients and had more than 463,000 visits.