UTMB Post-Ike Workforce FAQs
Click the questions below for answers to some of UTMB's most frequently asked post-Ike workforce related questions. Updated Dec. 19, 2008.
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Answer: There are no plans for another reduction in force in the foreseeable future.
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Answer: Senior leadership will meet in early January to carefully consider whether or not the institution will be able to grant merit increases according to the original schedule and plan, which were created prior to the financial challenges posed by Hurricane Ike. Employees will be informed as soon as a decision has been reached. In the meantime, supervisors should continue to conduct staff performance appraisals according to their department’s normal schedule.
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Answer: The University of Texas System directed UTMB to proceed with a reduction in force that will support an initial configuration of 200 inpatient beds on the clinical side and allow the institution to preserve and protect its education and research missions. Following are related statistics:
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Answer: Yes.
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Answer: The University of Texas System Board of Regents authorized the chancellor ad interim to work with UTMB leadership to achieve a reduction of up to 3800 full-time-equivalent positions.
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Answer: Supervisors made every effort to talk with employees in person. However, it was not possible to do so in all cases, particularly given the magnitude of the damage UTMB sustained in the wake of Hurricane Ike. As a result, some employees received notice by phone, email or letter. While this is far from ideal, financial exigencies dictated that all employees affected be notified as quickly as possible.
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Answer: Classified employees received 60 days’ notice with full salary and benefits, consistent with UTMB’s practice. Administrative and Professional employees received a minimum of 60 days’ notice with full salary and benefits. Non-tenured faculty received a six months’ notice with full salary and benefits. Tenured and tenure-track faculty received full salary and benefits until August 31, 2009, which is the end of UTMB’s fiscal year.
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Answer: Yes, to the number needed to support UTMB’s education and research missions, and an initial configuration of 200 inpatient beds.
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Answer: For non-faculty, administration and managers first identified the type of work needed to support a reduced number of inpatient beds and to protect and preserve UTMB’s education and research enterprises. They then determined the necessary skill sets and qualifications. Performance and service orientation were also considered, as well as longevity in some circumstances when all other factors were equal.
Faculty decisions were made in accordance with the Regents Rules, which require committee review for the elimination of academic programs and positions. The rules specify the factors to consider, which include academic qualifications and talents, the needs of the programs, past academic performance and potential future contributions. Tenure was considered only if two or more individuals were equally qualified. -
Answer: UTMB is confident that this reduction in force is consistent with the level of staff needed to: a). support an initial configuration of 200 hospital beds, and b). protect and preserve the education and research missions. However, given the variables involved (speed of facilities recovery, extent of reimbursements, availability of other funding, demand for services, etc.), it is not possible to say at this time if future reductions will be necessary.
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Answer: The distribution of UTMB’s workforce will depend on the future configuration of the institution, which UT System and UTMB officials are currently working with the help of a consultant to explore.
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Answer: The first priority for employees affected is to find another job, and UTMB will continue to provide access to a full range of job search resources through its two employee help centers. However, every area of the organization has different needs during this transition period and some supervisors may ask employees to work for some portion of time during the 60-day notice period. In those instances, supervisors will ensure that employees are not disadvantaged and have the flexibility to actively pursue other job options.
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Answer: Given the damage UTMB sustained, available office space is limited. Because employees’ first priority is to find another job during the 60-day notice period, UTMB is encouraging employees to take advantage of the centrally located Employee Help Center in Webster. Employees affected will also continue to have access to their email accounts during the notice period.
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Answer: UTMB is committed to helping employees affected by the reduction with their job search and is staffing two Employee Help Centers, one centrally located on the mainland and one on the island (http://www.utmb.edu/utmbemployeehelpcenter). Both centers are open 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Human Resources is prepared to extend the hours of operation based on need. Services and resources include:
- One-on-one job search counseling
- Job fairs
- Training on interviewing, resume writing and online job searches
- Employee benefit and retirement counseling
- Financial counseling and training
- Computer lab
- Employment verification
- Counseling for personal issues
Recognizing that a reduction of force, especially one of this magnitude, will be difficult for the employees who remain, UTMB will also offer related sessions and counseling services. -
Answer: Human Resources representatives are available to meet with every employee whose position is affected. Information is also available at:
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Answer: The UT System Board of Regents and state officials have asked UTMB to do everything possible to mitigate the impact of this decision on employees, and early retirement is one of the options being considered. The availability of necessary funding will be the deciding factor.
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Answer: Approximately $20 million, based on a workforce sized to support an initial configuration of 200 inpatient beds and protect and preserve UTMB’s education and research missions.
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Answer: Many UTMB staff participated in departmental incentive plans this past year and their contributions were significant. Unfortunately, in light of the financial crisis brought about by Hurricane Ike, UTMB is not financially able to support the approximately $3 million in SIP payments.
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Answer: UTMB’s clinical enterprise suffered the greatest damage during Hurricane Ike. However, the initial configuration of 200 inpatient beds has implications for every area of the institution (education, research, patient care, institutional support); all will experience a reduction in force consistent with the level of staffing needed to support that smaller configuration while protecting and preserving UTMB’s three mission areas.
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Answer: In the case of certain programs, damage to the facility housing the program or to equipment essential to providing services will make it impossible for them to be available on the UTMB campus for 12 to 18 months.
Within the initial configuration of 200 inpatient beds, UTMB is working to provide services to women and infants, burn patients, transplant patients and correctional managed care patients, consistent with its clinical strategic plan and the following criteria:- Were facilities housing the program/equipment damaged?
- Is the program aligned with UTMB’s clinical strategic plan and/or other institutional priorities?
- Does the program fill an unmet community need?
- Does an alternative to this program/these services exist elsewhere?
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Answer: UTMB will provide as much care as current facilities and resources allow and will continue to take the community’s needs into account as we bring clinical services back on line. Due to the extent of the damages the campus sustained, some services may not be available on the island for a year or more. For the most current information on available clinical services, visit www.utmbhealthcare.org
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Answer: The plan calls for bringing UTMB’s Level I Trauma Center, which was just ranked first in the nation for survival rates, back as quickly as possible. However, a Level I Trauma Center requires significant infrastructure in order to serve patients and maintain certification; restoring that infrastructure will take 12 months or longer.
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Answer: The limited capabilities of UTMB’s emergency room and the small number of inpatient beds available means that seriously sick or injured people must be transferred to other hospitals in the region once their condition has been stabilized. For more routine care, UTMB operates a network of primary and specialty clinics in mainland Galveston County, and our physicians also provide services at a number of other health care institutions in the region. As the fourth largest metropolitan area in the nation, the Houston-Galveston area offers numerous health care options, including the internationally renowned Texas Medical Center.
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Answer: Given the damage the clinical enterprise sustained, UTMB has placed its indigent county contracts on “hold” and suspended delivery of indigent health care services pending availability of suitable space and resources. Contracts have not been terminated and will be subject to reevaluation at a later time.
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Answer: Current plans call for an initial configuration of 200 inpatient beds, with the goal of achieving a complement of 350 beds at some point in the future. University of Texas System and UTMB officials are working with a consultant to explore viable configurations for the health system long-term.
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Answer: Within the initial configuration of a 200-bed hospital, UTMB will provide care to women and infants, as well as to burn, transplant and Correctional Managed Care patients. It is not possible to say at this time to say how many beds will be allocated to which service; those decisions will be based on the stability of the infrastructure and patient demand.
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Answer: UTMB has every confidence in its continued ability to fulfill its education and research missions. Medical, nursing, health professions and graduate students resumed their coursework in October and all UTMB residents are continuing their clinical training in programs throughout the state.
In terms of the medical school, students have been placed temporarily in clinical rotations under UTMB faculty in Austin and at other Texas medical schools; they will return to the Houston- Galveston area for clinical training as UTMB’s clinical operations on and off the island grow in the coming months, and all will be back under the direct supervision of UTMB faculty by July. (These steps have the approval of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which is responsible for accrediting MD programs in the United States and Canada.)
UTMB’s research enterprise is well on the road to full recovery. Ninety-five percent of the research labs are functional and normal hours are expected to be in effect by the beginning of the calendar year. UTMB researchers have secured more than $25 million in federal funding since the hurricane and the National Institutes of Health has been extremely supportive of UTMB faculty during this recovery period by extending grant deadlines. The Galveston National Laboratory, one of only two such laboratories in the United States and the only national laboratory in Texas, was officially dedicated November 11, two short months after Ike made landfall. -
Answer: The university is working with UT System, state and federal officials to determine the future configuration of the Galveston campus. Once those decisions have been made, officials can evaluate which parts of the campus are the most logical candidates for mitigation efforts.
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Answer: There are no plans at this time to reopen the Children’s Hospital. UTMB already operates a 24-hour urgent care facility for children, a newborn nursery and the neonatal intensive care unit; in December, UTMB will be opening specialty clinics to provide children’s services on campus. When more beds open in the hospital, some will be designated for pediatric patients. Specialty care services for children offered at UTMB clinics include: cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, psychology, developmental pediatrics, restorative and rehabilitative care, adolescent medicine, nephrology, endocrinology/diabetes, infectious diseases, genetics, hematology/ oncology, pediatric urology, pediatric surgery, pediatric orthopedic surgery, pediatric ophthalmology, pediatric otolaryngology, cleft palate, and pediatric radiology.
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Answer: Yes.
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Answer: UTMB’s annual budget is $1.6 billion. We are actively working on adjustments based on an initial configuration of 200 hospital beds and will have a better idea in the near future what the budget will be moving forward.
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Answer: Given the extent of the damages sustained, all construction plans are being carefully re-evaluated within the context of the anticipated configuration of the institution.
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Answer: Yes. Construction has already begun, with an estimated completion date of December 2009 and an occupancy date of January 2010.
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Answer: For the most part, revenue bonds rather than cash reserves are funding the League City specialty care center, which is part of a clinical strategic plan aimed at increasing clinical revenue by attracting more patients who can afford to pay for their care while meeting the health care needs of an area experiencing explosive population growth.
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Answer: It’s impossible to say at this point. The 64-acre site ensures maximum flexibility in the future. The facility now under construction is an ambulatory specialty care center designed to meet the health care needs of the growing population in the area.
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Answer: This reduction in force is designed to align the size of UTMB’s workforce with the amount of revenue-generating work available (which has decreased considerably since Hurricane Ike) and a hospital configured initially at 200 beds. It would be fiscally irresponsible to continue to fund positions when there is no work available for the individuals in those positions. Also, cutting the salaries of UTMB administrators could never cover a monthly payroll of approximately $86 million.
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Answer: The University of Texas System remains committed to a successful, financially viable and responsible future for UTMB and to the advancement of its education, patient care and research missions (http://www.utsystem.edu/News/2008/BOR-Statement-UTMB-11-12-08.html). UT officials continue to refute long-standing rumors that UTMB will move to Austin or any other city in Texas. That said, UTMB is expanding clinical services to mainland Galveston County to meet the medical needs of the growing population in its primary service area.
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Answer: Yes, UTMB has renewed its contract with the Travis County Health District to operate the Austin Women’s Hospital.
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Answer: The UT System and the Texas legislature have asked UTMB to protect and preserve its education and research missions, and to work toward establishing a successful clinical enterprise that serves the medical needs of the region, beginning with 200 inpatient beds. UT System and state officials are working to help fund such efforts, although the long-term configuration of the institution has yet to be decided. UT System and UTMB officials are currently working with a consultant to explore viable options. It is neither feasible nor prudent to fund salaries beyond the volume of work currently available.
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Answer: The University of Texas System cannot use Permanent University Funds, Available University Funds or monies to be provided by FEMA to fund operating expenses or pay salaries/benefits at any UT institution.
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Answer: UT System was able to obtain $100 million in windstorm and flood coverage from a commercial insurance provider in 2008. This was the most coverage available from any insurance provider. Most carriers were not interested in providing coverage because of the large Portable Maximum Loss (PML) generated by the combined significant property and business income values at UTMB, UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and UTHSC Houston.
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Answer: Unfortunately, UTMB will lose valued and dedicated professionals in the course of this process. Employees need to do what’s best for themselves and their families in these uncertain times, and we fully support them in that. We know that the majority of our employees would prefer to remain at UTMB and we hope to be able to hire them back as our capabilities increase.
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Answer: Given the extent of the damages UTMB sustained, the challenges that go hand-in-hand with an island location, and the opportunities inherent in a growing mainland population, it makes good sense to reevaluate the configuration of the clinical enterprise to ensure UTMB’s ability to meet the medical needs of its primary service area in a financially sustainable way.
If your question isn't addressed, please submit your inquiry to: public.affairs@utmb.edu.