Optum, a health services arm of the healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group, has announced the layoff of 364 employees across California, with a significant number of these layoffs affecting staff at urgent care facilities. As reported by ABC7, Optum's planned job cuts span eight waves starting in September and wrapping up by January 2025. This action is part of a larger scale-down that will see a total of 525 positions eliminated nationwide.
These layoffs and the closure of certain departments have been communicated to the Employment Development Department by Optum. It affects a mix of locations within Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties, as detailed by ABC7. From urgent care centers to primary and specialty care offices, even including some infusion centers, the cuts run deep into the community's healthcare resources. Notably, a portion of the job losses - 161 to be more specific - are telecommuting roles linked to California but are performed outside the state.
Optum's decision to lay off hundreds comes without a public declaration of the reasons behind the layoffs or the provision of severance pay. In a statement obtained by the Southern California News Group, Optum hinted at transformation within the company: "We continually review the capabilities and services we offer to meet the growing and evolving needs of our businesses and the people we serve," and added their intention to help affected workers by shifting them, where possible, to other positions within the company.
Among various sites being hit by the layoffs, the list includes urgent care facilities in Glendora, Montebello, Pasadena, and Long Beach, to name a few, as per The Orange County Register. These facilities, several of which also provide primary and specialty care, have been cornerstones for access to health services in their respective communities. The fallout of these layoffs extends to a broad spectrum of medical professionals, from nurses and radiology technicians to physicians in urgent care and cardiology.
