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CENTUR.S
CAI E: RA
BUY—SELL—TRADE
18
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1991
3017 N. Woodward
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6919 Orchard Lake Road
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Jewish Chaplain
Among Sinai Cuts
KIMBERLY LIFTON
Staff Writer
S
hortly after 2 p.m.
Tuesday, Rabbi Allan
Bluestein began pack-
ing boxes in his office at
Sinai Hospital.
He had just learned that
his job as Sinai chaplain
would be terminated and
that his responsibilities
would be given to Rabbi
Leonard Perlstein, the
hospital's mashgiach who
supervises its kosher kit-
chen.
"I don't know what I will
do," said Rabbi Bluestein,
60, Sinai chaplain for 10
years. "I have lots of creden-
tials. I can teach, work for a
congregation, or just relax. I
am thinking about retiring."
Rabbi Bluestein was one of
188 full-time employees laid
off from Sinai this week in a
move administrators say
will improve the overall fi-
nancial performance of the
hospital.
On Wednesday, many
employees out of work re-
ported to paid three-day
counseling clinics on writing
resumes and finding jobs.
Others skipped the
workshops, collecting
benefits immediately. This
Monday, severance benefits
kick in.
"We will still have one
full-time rabbi on staff
whose orientation will be the
same," said Howard Watts,
Sinai's interim president.
"We will still have a rabbi
and a kosher kitchen."
Mr. Watts said the
hospital will continue to
market its Jewish identity.
Layoffs will reduce the
number of full-time staff
members by 8 percent from
about 2,600 to 2,400
employees. In addition,
hours for part-time
employees will be cut.
"The workforce reduction,
while a difficult measure, is
one of many necessary ac-
tions to reduce costs and
regain the financial stability
of the hospital," said
Howard Watts, Sinai's
interim president who took
over the administrative
helm during its transitional
time.
Mr. Watts is a managing
director of the Hunter
Group, a Chicago-based
health care consulting firm
hired by Sinai in April to
help the hospital get out of
financial difficulties. In
July, Mr. Watts was named
interim director, a position
expected to last through Oc-
tober.
Mr. Watts said employee
salaries account for 60 per-
cent of the hospital's overall
costs. Before the reduction,
Sinai staff levels were
higher than national stan-
dards for similar size
hospitals.
He said layoffs will not af-
fect patient care.
Mr. Watts said employees
were terminated from most
departments, including
those at the administrative
level. Although the nursing
department was virtually
unaffected, some nurses,
who worked in the emergen-
cy and psychiatric depart-
ments, lost their jobs be-
cause those areas were
overstaffed, Mr. Watts said.
He said those nurses most
likely could transfer to other
Sinai departments.
Also unaffected was
obstetrics, an area of
strength for Sinai. The
hospital's long-term plan
calls for enhancing pro-
grams such as women and
infant care, cardiology and
expanding primary care and
family practice programs.
The hospital also hopes to
aggressively recruit physi-
cians, increase services to
doctors, participate in an es-
tablished physician referral
service and improve access
to managed care plans.
Sinai Hospital lost $6.75
million in the first three
quarters of 1991 and an-
ticipates a loss of more than
$9 million for the entire
fiscal year. Cumulative
losses for the past three
years — not including this
year — are estimated at $5.5
million.
Meanwhile, the hospital's
executive committee, chaired
by board officer Marvin
Novick, has been inter-
viewing candidates for
chief executive officer. Chief
of Staff Dr. Norman Bolton,
a committee member, said
all candidates thus far have
been Jewish.
"The doctors view layoffs
as an unfortunate, but
positive step," Dr. Bolton
said. "It has been very ex-
pensive running the hospital
with a luxury staff. Becom-
ing more efficient with a
smaller staff is the desired
end point."
In addition, plans are
under way for the hospital's
third annual Heritage Ball
fund-raiser, scheduled for
Oct. 23. ❑
.