Via Christi to lay off billing employees, transition others

Via Christi Health says it is laying off billing employees in Wichita, Manhattan and Pittsburg.

The number is unclear: The hospital informed 73 billing employees in August that they would lose their jobs in April as Via Christi transitioned parts of its billing cycle to a national vendor.

The hospital now says fewer than 25 people may be laid off. Part of the reason is that some of those employees have taken other jobs at Via Christi or elsewhere, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Via Christi notified the state Feb. 10 that it would lay off 56 employees.

“At this time, it appears the actual number may be less than half that number,” said Carol Karp, chief financial officer, in an e-mail.

As part of the transition, another 224 employees were told in August that they could continue working at Via Christi as employees of R1, the national vendor, Karp said.

This story was originally published February 23, 2017 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Via Christi to lay off billing employees, transition others."