Wellstar reshapes leadership, cuts 761 jobs amid restructuring
Marietta, Ga.-based Wellstar Health System is restructuring its leadership and cutting 761 jobs, about 2% of its more than 35,000-employee workforce. The reductions target corporate and shared services roles, plus certain administrative positions in Wellstar Medical Group, and do not affect front-line care teams, according to a July 28 statement shared with Becker's Hospital Review.
A system spokesperson said in a July 30 statement that Wellstar is "recalibrating" its leadership structure to reduce administrative layers and align with industry best practices, resulting in some leaders' roles changing. The changes aim to simplify structure, clarify roles, and move decision-making closer to patient care, the spokesperson said.
The job cuts follow Wellstar's June agreement to acquire Mountain Lakes Medical Center, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Clayton, Ga., with the deal expected to close Aug. 1. Moody's upgraded Wellstar's credit rating to "A1" from "A2" in April, citing strong operating performance with cash flow margins of 9% to 11% driven by volume growth.