University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to cut 600 jobs amid $30M shortfall

LITTLE ROCK—The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences said Monday that it can no longer depend on its reserves to pull it through budget shortfalls and was laying off 258 people, including some doctors and faculty members, to address a $30 million hole in its $1.5 billion budget. Another 350 jobs will remain unfilled.

Interim Chancellor Stephanie Gardner told the school's 10,900 employees in an email Monday that while it had previously used reserve money to make ends meet, it could no longer do so. Making cuts now would save the school $26 million to $30 million before the June 30 end of the fiscal year. Next year's savings will total about $60 million.

In all, about 600 jobs will disappear throughout the statewide system. UAMS has employees in 73 of the state's 75 counties.

"This is the first major reduction in force we've ever had," school spokeswoman Leslie Taylor said. She said she believed the school would continue to have a presence in each of those 73 counties.

Read more: http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/arkansas/story/2018/jan/09/uams-cut-600-jobs-amid-30m-shortfall/707849/