Mass General Brigham, the parent company of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, is planning to cut administrative and managerial positions in the coming weeks in an effort to close what the health care giant says is a looming $250 million budget gap. 

Mass General Brigham, which acquired the Vineyard hospital in 2006, announced the layoffs this week, though officials both at the overarching company and the Vineyard hospital couldn’t pinpoint how many people would be let go or if any Vineyard jobs would be lost. 

Mass General Brigham did note in public statements that roles would be cut throughout its network. 

“As part of our response, we are consolidating certain management and administrative positions throughout the system,” Jennifer Street, a senior vice president of communications at Mass General Brigham, said in a statement. “These actions are primarily focused on non-clinical and non-patient facing roles in an effort to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and maximize support for frontline clinicians.”

Mass General Brigham employs about 82,000 people, and oversees more than a dozen hospitals and medical facilities in Massachusetts, including the Vineyard hospital in Oak Bluffs. 

Michael Jaff, the president of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital board of trustees, declined to comment on how the layoffs would affect the Island, deferring questions to a Mass General Brigham spokesperson. 

The managerial consolidation is being undertaken as health care networks across the country face mounting pressures, according to Mass General Brigham. By removing management and administrative layers, the health care system aims to “reduce bureaucracy, enhance decision-making, improve communication, and foster a more agile environment.” 

Any potential local cuts come at a time when the Vineyard’s health care system is facing hardships. Vineyard Medical Care, a practice that cares for about 1,000 patients, is on the brink of closure. Martha’s Vineyard Hospital has a waiting list of 1,000 patients on its own.

This is not the first managerial shakeup in recent years. In 2023, Mass General Brigham changed the title of Denise Schepici, who was originally hired in 2018 to be the CEO and president of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Her title was amended to be the president and chief operating officer, reporting to a pair of Mass General Brigham officials who will oversee all of the community hospitals owned by Mass General Brigham. 

That change was also described as an effort to improve efficiency and streamline costs. At the time, Ms. Schepici said there would be no practical changes other than job titles at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. 

The Vineyard hospital has largely stayed in the black in recent years, reporting a $15.9 million surplus during the fiscal year 2023.

Costs have been rising across the network, though, according to Mass General Brigham. Here on the Vineyard, the nursing union scored a 30 per cent wage increase over a three-year agreement. 

Laura Hilliard, a nurse who headed the bargaining sessions, declined to comment on the layoffs, referring questions to Mass General Brigham. 

Mass General did not point to any specific cost as a pressure point for the layoffs. 

“The decision was reached by clinical, academic and administrative leaders from across our system after thoughtfully considering the current healthcare landscape and our poor financial performance over the past several years,” Anne Klibanski, the president and chief executive officer of Mass General Brigham, wrote to staff this week.