Ventura County Health Care officials now say a projected major budget shortfall for the past fiscal year which prompted layoffs didn’t turn out to be the crisis which had been feared. A nearly $20 million dollar budget shortfall had been projected. But, Health Care Agency officials say thanks to additional state supplemental funding there was a $6 million dollar net income.
Because of the bleak projections earlier this year, the agency took a number of cost cutting steps to try to keep future budgets balanced. One of the biggest impacts was the elimination of more than 150 positions in the agency, its clinics, and its hospitals.
However, all but 14 of the 154 employees have been offered other jobs with the organization. County officials say the layoffs, as well as other cost cutting moves are necessary to insure the agency’s long term financial stability.
