Bon Secours Mercy Health furloughs 700 employees amid coronavirus

Bon Secours Mercy Health —which operates 11 hospitals in the Richmond and Hampton Roads regions — has furloughed 700 full-time employees across seven states and 12 markets, the health care system announced Tuesday.

The health care system said in a released statement that the furloughs come as a result of fewer people seeking primary care, outpatient and surgical services, as most health care services being performed are related to COVID-19.

“In response to this unprecedented situation … our ministry is acting quickly to redeploy or temporarily furlough associates who are unable to work due to temporary closure, cancellation and low census in primary care, outpatient and surgical services,” according to a Bon Secours released statement. “This will also affect many support services associates who are not directly working on COVID-19 activities. We are also suspending hiring for any positions not directly impacting our COVID-19 and care responses.”

The furlough is temporary and is expected to last 30 to 90 days. Employees who are affected by the furlough will be paid for working through April 3 and then will be paid for any paid-time-off hours they may have. They are also eligible for unemployment benefits. 

“The efforts of our entire team, combined with the tough decisions we are making today, will enable us to continue to focus on the COVID-19 response, which we expect to escalate in the coming weeks, ” the statement says.

Bon Secours Mercy Health employs approximately 60,000 people in its 51-hospital health care system. The Bon Secours Mercy Health Foundation has provided $60 million to its Associate Emergency Fund to help employees “facing serious financial challenges.”