Layoffs at Sharon Hospital affect five positions

SHARON, Conn. — Sharon Hospital has laid off three full-time administration-level employees, as well as two per-diem employees who acted as liaisons between the hospital and area emergency services volunteers.The hospital did not reveal the names of the people who were laid off or the positions they held.Hospital spokesperson Jill Musselman said the layoffs are part of the for-profit institution’s efforts to compensate for loss of income due to the state tax on hospitals and the impact of the federal sequestration.“All the people who were laid off were an important part of our hospital family, and we did not take this lightly,” she said. She stressed that the layoffs will not impact patient care, and that the hospital “is not closing.”She also put out a call to community members to utilize the hospital when possible.“The use of the hospital by the community dictates the level of employment. People have to use the hospital for it to stay viable and grow.”She confirmed that she will remain on staff, as will CEO Kimberly Lumia, CFO Mark Reyngoudt and Chief Nursing Officer Peter Cordeau.Longtime Sharon Hospital employee Jim Hutchison, whose title is health and wellness concierge, will now serve as the liaison between the emergency services volunteers and Dr. Richard Bennek, medical director of the emergency department. Hutchison is an EMS volunteer in his home town of Winsted.