Vidant Health announces 191 layoffs, citing budget shortfall

Vidant Health is laying off nearly 200 workers across eastern North Carolina to address a budget shortfall, the health system's CEO said Monday. Dr. Michael Waldrum said in an email that the first steps to eliminate the $18 million budget shortfall during the first quarter of fiscal year 2020 was “to reduce costs, implement operational efficiencies and to discontinue recruitment and hiring for certain non-patient care positions," news sources reported.