November 1 UHS announcement on staff cuts and hours reductions

Posted on by November 10, 2011

From: UMass University Health Services <official-uhs@admin.umass.edu>
Date: November 1, 2011 3:23:52 PM EDT
To: massmail-l@oit.umass.edu
Subject: Changes at University Health Services

To the UMass Amherst campus community,

As an evidence-based organization in the rapidly changing healthcare
field, University Health Services (UHS) constantly evaluates its
programs and services, industry trends and the economic environment, to
ensure the provision of high-quality care in a fiscally responsible
manner. These ongoing assessments have revealed the need for several
changes, which we are sharing with you today.

  • Beginning Nov. 1, 2011, UHS will be closed on holidays when students
    are not in residence; this includes Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New
    Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day and July 4th.
  • During the upcoming intersession, Dec. 17, 2011 – Jan. 22, 2012, UHS
    will be open seven days a week, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Beginning May 12, 2012,
    summer and intersession hours will be Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Visit the Residential Life website,
www.housing.umass.edu/hao/earlyarr.html, for hall opening and closing
information; the Registrar’s Office posts the university’s academic
calendar at www.umass.edu/registrar.

  • Effective Jan. 23, 2012, UHS will be open weekdays, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.;
    weekend hours will be noon – 4 p.m.
  • Medical and mental health telephone triage services will remain
    available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (413) 577-5000. As always,
    those with a life-threatening emergency should call 911 for ambulance
    transport to a hospital.
  • Effective with the close of the spring semester, UHS will increase
    the volume of tests performed by its current external reference
    laboratory; collection of lab samples and limited testing will continue
    on-site. Concurrently, UHS will cease operating its independent
    pharmacy.

With increasing healthcare expenses and declining insurance
reimbursements, cost-effective services have never been more important.
These shifts are expected to reduce UHS’ expenses by approximately $1
million annually.

For timely information about UHS services, programs and events, visit
our website, www.umass.edu/uhs. Should you have questions, you may also
call our administrative offices, (413) 577-5211.

Sincerely,

Bernette A. Daly, Ed.D.
Executive Director, UHS

Comments are closed.