Jefferson Health is laying off 171 employees in March, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported via a state regulatory filing published on Friday, January 10.

The announcement notes that the layoffs “relate to the outsourcing of back-office jobs.” Most of the affected employees work remotely across the hospital system although they officially report into offices located within the Philadelphia, Fort Washington, Willow Grove, Norristown, East Norriton and Abington areas, and in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Jefferson’s notice to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry said the layoffs will affect people working in billing, insurance preauthorization, and clinical documentation.

“We are disappointed that management has chosen to eliminate these positions,” a union spokesperson said. “We are awaiting a response from management as to why these highly skilled jobs, all of which are essential to the daily operations of the hospital, are being eliminated.”

Jefferson is looking to make its operations more profitable by reducing management and postponing annual pay raises, among other tweaks. The 32-hospital system reported $3.73 billion in revenue, up 10% from $3.39 billion a year ago, The Inquirer said.

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