LAFAYETTE, LA (AP) — At least 486 of about 560 employees of the former HCA-owned Regional Medical Center of Acadiana retained their jobs as Lafayette General took over the facility last week.
In August, Lafayette General Health announced the acquisition of the hospital owned by HCA MidAmerica with assurances that all employees would be given the option to apply for jobs at the new Lafayette General Southwest.
That change became official on Nov. 6, and only a small number of employees opted not to take advantage of the offer.
Daryl Cetnar, communications director for Lafayette General Health, tells The Advocate’s Marsha Sills HCA took care of at least 64 employees internally through transfers to other HCA properties or other personnel action.
At least 10 employees didn't receive a job because they declined job offers or didn't pass pre-employment screenings, he added.
Former HCA employees were able to retain some benefits they acquired, including their years of service with the company and their insurance deductible history for the current year.
The years of service come into play when determining vacation benefits, Cetnar said. That means it's possible that employees retained their same level of vacation time — a perk not always given when someone changes employers.
"We went above and beyond to make sure these employees were taken care of," Cetnar said.
The switch in ownership went smoothly last week, and no changes beyond name badges and signage are expected in the coming months, Cetnar added.
"It's operations as usual right now," he said. "We're going to take six to nine months to really analyze how the services over there work and how they work in conjunction with Lafayette General Medical Center."
