Mass General Brigham cuts staff and halves Home Hospital

Massachusetts' largest health system, Mass General Brigham, has started another round of layoffs and is planning cuts to its Home Hospital program, CBS Boston reported on Oct. 23. The report cited the Boston Globe, which said layoffs began last week and that some pediatricians at Mass Eye and Ear were offered other roles.

A spokesperson for the system would not say how many workers are being let go or which departments are involved. The system employs more than 82,000 people across Massachusetts; early in 2025, hundreds of employees lost their jobs.

The system said in a statement: "To strengthen our long-term financial sustainability, Mass General Brigham is continuing to make changes in how we operate". It also said it must coordinate more closely across its hospitals and care settings and move faster toward an integrated care model.

The Home Hospital program, which had been the nation's largest, will be reduced by half, CBS Boston reported. The Boston Globe said the program has an average annual loss of $30 million. The program would be capped at 30 patients, compared with roughly 70 in 2024. Under the model, nurses and other caregivers traveled to patients' homes and used a telemedicine system the hospital installed. A doctor who helps run the program told WBZ-TV in 2023 that it appears costly but costs less than inpatient care.

Mass General Brigham said it is making "difficult but necessary decisions" to serve patients. The hospital has said a possible walkout by thousands of nurses is among its challenges, along with rising labor and drug costs and Medicare, Medicaid and commercial reimbursement rates that have not kept up. The health care system added: "By taking these steps now, we are strengthening Mass General Brigham for the future and ensuring we can continue to serve our patients and communities for generations to come".