Creek Nation lays off 123 health employees, 55 others transferred

OKMULGEE — Facing a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Department of Health closed out fiscal year 2016 by cutting its workforce by 15 percent.

A Creek Nation spokesman confirmed that 123 health care employees were laid off Friday, with 55 more transferred to other positions within the tribe as part of a reorganization to balance the department’s budget.

A breakdown of the staffing cuts by facility or specialty area was not available as of Wednesday, but Creek Nation spokesman Thompson Gouge said most of the layoffs were on the operations and corporate side rather than direct patient care.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/state/creek-nation-lays-off-health-employees-others-transferred/article_537bae0d-db79-5837-a8e8-a321490c32c2.html