Here are five things to know:
1. Optum allegedly laid off around 67 employees, including nurses, internal couriers and human resource workers, from the Everett Clinic and the Polyclinic in Seattle, a former senior manager told The Daily Herald on Sept. 8. Optum purchased the clinics in 2017.
2. Optum-owned, Morgantown, W.Va.-based MedExpress Urgent Care will eliminate registered nursing positions at 150 facilities, nurse.org reported Aug. 21.
3. Optum subsidiary MedExpress Urgent Care cut nursing positions at nearly 150 locations “in an effort to revamp its staffing model,” according to an Aug. 11 article from ABC affiliate WTAE.
A MedExpress spokesperson did not confirm or deny the accuracy of the report when reached by Becker’s, though they did provide the following statement: “MedExpress continually assesses and evolves our staffing models to better reflect urgent care industry standards. As always, we will support team members affected with job placement resources and seek to deploy them where possible to any open roles within the company.”
4. Becker’s has not confirmed an exact number of employees who may have been terminated or when layoffs would be effective, and UnitedHealth Group has declined to provide specific information
5. “We continually review the capabilities and services we offer to meet the growing and evolving needs of our businesses and the people we serve,” UnitedHealth Group previously told Becker’s in a statement. “As always, we will support affected team members with job placement resources and seek to deploy them where possible to any open roles within the company.”
