Geisinger Workers Face Job Opportunities

By Andrew M. Seder, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Jul. 2–If you’re going to be laid off from a hospital job, there are a lot worse places to have it happen than in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

That’s the message being offered by hospital officials throughout the region.

It’s directed at the approximately 400 employees of Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre who were notified Thursday their positions were being eliminated this fall. But there are opportunities in the region.

There are nearly 20 hospitals or medical centers within 70 miles of Wilkes-Barre — in addition to numerous nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities and medical offices. All facilities have open positions, ranging from a half-dozen at Montrose General Hospital to nearly 200 within the Lehigh Valley Health System. Positions include nurses, technicians, dietary staff and housekeeping.

Some nursing positions — of which there are at least 500 currently available within an hour’s drive of Wilkes-Barre — come with signing bonuses of up to $10,000. Advertisements placed by Mercy Health Partners in Scranton offer those furloughed Geisinger workers who are former employees of Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre positions at their facilities in Scranton and Nanticoke. This would enable them to receive credit for their previous time with Mercy, as far as pay, vacation time and pension are concerned.

The Danville-based Geisinger Health System purchased Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre in December 2005 and renamed it Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre.

John M. Starcher Jr., interim president and chief executive officer of Mercy, said the incentives seemed to be the right thing to do based on the history between Mercy and its former employees and the mission preached by the Sisters of Mercy. The offer also includes health benefits that go into effect the first day of the month following the date of hire. Usually new hires have to wait 90 days to be eligible for benefits.

The offers, coupled with the employees’ familiarity with the health system, may give Mercy an advantage in swaying employees to rejoin them, Starcher said.

Other hospitals are trying to position themselves as a viable destination.

Tim Farley, vice president of human resources at Greater Hazleton Health Alliance, said the dearth of hospitals in the region offers a number of positions for the Geisinger employees and “there’s no question we can absorb it (the job seekers).” He said the influx of hundreds of qualified employees into the work force has human resource offices abuzz.

Hazleton General Hospital, a member of the alliance, will host a job fair July 16. It’s early this year, Farley said, because he knows there will be a healthy competition to recruit the displaced workers.

“It’s selfish and it’s not selfish,” Farley said. The goal is to keep the talent in Northeast Pennsylvania so the best medical care is offered locally, he said.

Starcher was more to the point.

“We’d be disingenuous if we didn’t say this goes a long way to helping us (fill the depleted ranks),” Starcher said. Job fairs also are planned for Mercy.

Some workers aren’t waiting. They’ve scoured the wants ads in the days after the lay-off announcement and dozens of resumes and phone calls have been received by local hospital human resource offices.

Geisinger spokesman Dave Jolley said the system is working closely with employees and employment agencies to line up jobs for laid-off workers. A job fair is in the works for mid-August and a Chicago firm that specializes in helping workers prepare resumes and improve job search and interview techniques has been hired.

Jolley said about 160 of the workers will be able to remain with Geisinger at another one of the company’s facilities.

“The good part,” Jolley said, “is that they’re in a field that’s in demand.” After last week’s announcement, Geisinger received numerous calls from other health care providers looking for qualified workers. Among them is Tyler Memorial Hospital in Tunkhannock.

Tyler spokeswoman Gladys Bernet said human resources officials will meet today to discuss strategies to land some of the Geisinger staff. She said a job fair is among the options.

Hospital officials who said they’ve received calls or resumes from employees facing layoffs include Community Medical Center and Mercy Health Partners in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, which is operated by Wyoming Valley Health Care System. Wilkes-Barre General is the closest hospital to Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre and would serve as an attractive option for those wishing to keep similar travel schedules and routes, spokesman Kevin McDonald said, adding that there are plenty of positions available.

McDonald said hospitals are always looking for qualified employees, especially nurses. While the news from South Wilkes-Barre was sad, he said workers who will lose their jobs “should know there are plenty of options and jobs out there.”

Jim Carmody, the health care system’s vice president of human resources, said Wilkes-Barre General went through a similar situation in 2000, when nearly 300 support staff positions were eliminated. While Wyoming Valley Health Care would like to fill its staffing holes with some Geisinger workers, Carmody said they will not “raid their employees.”

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