200 Cape Fear Valley Health positions eliminated, effective immediately

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — On Wednesday, Cape Fear Valley Health announced it was eliminating 200 positions — 138 of which are currently filled — effective immediately.

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In a news release, the health system cited “declining federal reimbursements and the rising cost of delivery care” as the main reasons for the cuts.

“These are difficult decisions, and they are never made lightly. They impact colleagues who have contributed so much to our patients and to our mission,” said Cape Fear Valley Health CEO Dan Weatherly. “However, these decisions reflect the challenging environment facing healthcare organizations across the country. We are committed to a strong and accessible health system for the communities we serve and that responsibility drives our decisions.”

Cape Fear Valley Health said their decision to let go of employees and eliminate unfilled positions is “part of a broader realignment aimed at ensuring long-term operations and financial stability” for the system, which employs thousands of people and operates multiple hospitals and other facilities across several counties in central and southeastern North Carolina.

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The cuts come less than a month after the new Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine opened. According to the health system, the new school as well as other expansion plans are “funded with philanthropic gifts, grants and capital sources” that “cannot be used for payroll or daily operations.”

The private, not-for-profit system’s medical facilities include Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Betsy Johnson Hospital, Central Harnett Hospital, Bladen County Hospital and more.

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