UCSF Health eliminating 200 positions
Healthcare workers who work at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland are striking on Wednesday over an "integration plan" they say will cost them money. June 18, 2025
SAN FRANCISCO - UCSF Health is eliminating about 200 positions, the University of California office said.
The system has made the "difficult decision" to eliminate approximately 200 positions as part of a broader effort to address serious financial challenges and protect our ability to care for patients in the years ahead, according to a statement provided by Kristen Bole, executive director of public affairs of UCSF Office of Communications.
SFGate first reported the news on Wednesday.
About a quarter were per-diem employees or people who worked less than full time, and of the career position eliminations, almost half were in management, Bole said.
The layoff also included fewer than a dozen staff members who are represented by the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) union.
"While these layoffs represent about 1% of our workforce, we recognize that these are more than just positions — they are people who have given their time, skill, and heart to UCSF Health," Bole wrote. "We are deeply grateful for their contributions. Impacted employees will receive full UC benefits, including severance and support with career transition."
UCSF Health has experienced rising costs of operations while facing diminished reimbursements for services, Bole said.
But the UPTE union told the San Francisco Chronicle that UCSF's decision means that patient care will just get worse.
UPTE pointed to what it called "healthy financial reserves" and criticized the university for allowing management ranks to grow by over 40% in the past five years, while the growth of frontline professional staff has lagged behind.
In a press release, UPTE called the layoffs "needlessly disruptive," alleging that some employees were sent home mid-shift without completing patient care tasks or handing off duties to colleagues.
The 200 layoffs come as healthcare workers have been striking for more than a week outside UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland to protest UCSF’s proposal to "integrate" the hospital’s workers to become University of California employees.