Real Effects of the Bad Economy

It has been only 2 days since my wife's employer sent out the email stating their intent to begin some layoffs that will allow them to make budget. I had thought it inevitable, but many around here had been hopeful that it would not come to this.

As one of the largest private employers in this area, this particular hospital's decisions stand to impact more than just the people who find themselves cut in the next 2 weeks - they stand poised to adversely affect the entire community if they end up in the situation of cutting hundreds of employees and perhaps cutting services.

The biggest impact could very well be to the local population who has come to count on the 2 local hospitals to care for them. If one is forced to make significant cuts in services offered or even to close, the local populace would be forced to find services elsewhere. And the spiral effects could make that even worse as doctors, nurses and other medical providers may decide to leave this area and find work elsewhere. One less hospital, fewer services and fewer providers of care is a very unappealing thought.

As health care workers, we have already discussed the possibility of moving to a larger area that supports a larger hospital in hopes to have safer jobs. But if this area loses a hospital, who will buy our home if we move? Thus a dilemma faced by millions of Americans recently has found its way to us. Which way to go from here is not certain, but we will find our path as we always have - together.