Top doctor at University of Chicago Medical Center steps down amid talk of massive layoffs

Amid a major restructuring and an expected announcement of several hundred job cuts, the chairman of the largest group of doctors at University of Chicago Medical Center has resigned. Skip Garcia, MD, chairman of the University of Chicago Department of Medicine since May 2005, has stepped down. He will, however, remain on the faculty, according to a letter issued to faculty and staff at the medical center. In a letter to faculty, the chief executive of the medical center alluded to Garcia's departure as related to the problems the medical center was having dealing with the economic downturn. The university would not comment further nor would it disclose the number of layoffs that will be announced.