The exact number of those impacted is not known and was not disclosed.
Job offers from Children’s were extended last week to LSU
employees and many were shocked to discover that they would be out of work as
of 6/24, when Children’s is scheduled to take over the operations from the
state, while many other received pay cuts.
“Why did they waste our time in meetings about benefits,”
one employee who did not want to be identified said. “I could have started
looking for work a month ago. Now, I have two weeks to work and then no income.”
A Department Head, who also asked to not be identified,
confirmed the pay cuts.
The State is privatizing several hospitals, among them the
LSU Interim Hospital and Clinics in New Orleans.
Recently, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand, the
Chairman of the East Jefferson General Hospital board, asked State legislators
to remove the requirement for a voter referendum to lease both EJ and West
Jefferson Medical Center.
Children’s, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) and
Ocshner are the three candidates in the running to pick up the leases. If
approved, the move would give Ochsner a virtual monopoly on healthcare in
Jefferson Parish. HCA operates hospitals across the country including
Tulane/Lakeside, Lakeview Regional in Covington and Rapides Regional in
Alexandria.
The Jefferson Parish Council which previously approved
Normand’s request to remove voters from the process, is expected to take up the
hospital leases in July.
