About 70 University of Colorado Hospital employees started learning Monday their jobs are being eliminated – less than two weeks before the hospital closes its Denver doors for new quarters in Aurora.
Many of the affected positions are in housekeeping, though nearly all those workers will have the option to keep their jobs as contract employees, hospital spokeswoman Sarah Ellis said.
“We’re expecting the workforce reduction will affect 60 to 70 positions,” Ellis said.
The hospital employs about 3,700 people. Other departments affected are radiology and clinical outpatient, she said.
“There will be no reductions in bedside nursing or other critical medical-care areas,” Ellis said.
Not all the affected employees had been notified by Wednesday, Ellis said, and it remains unclear how many of them will be out of work.
“Others will be allowed to take other jobs that had been vacated by attrition,” Ellis said.
“All programs will be maintained except the Sleep Lab,” she said.
The hospital – at East 9th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard – is scheduled to finish its move June 18 to the Anschutz Medical Campus on the Fitzsimons campus in Aurora.
The CU hospital is the first of three Denver hospitals leaving for the eastern suburb. Children’s Hospital is also scheduled to move to Fitzsimons, followed by the U.S. Veterans Affairs hospital.
Staff writer David Migoya can be reached at 303-954-1506 or dmigoya@denverpost.com.
