The City of Hope, one of the largest cancer care networks in the United States, laid off roughly 200 workers this week, the first time in over a quarter-century it has trimmed its workforce.
The layoffs amount to roughly 1.3% of the nonprofit’s total workforce of 15,000 people, said Nisha Morris, a spokeswoman with the Duarte-based cancer care provider, which has had its roots in the Los Angeles region since its founding in 1913.
“Most of the affected employees are part of our business support and operations teams across all levels, including management,” Morris said. “These reductions do not directly impact patient care.”
CoH, which last had layoffs in 1997, did not have any staff reductions with City of Hope Orange County, where it has seen rapid growth in recent years, she said.
The people laid off were notified Thursday, she said, adding that the nonprofit is providing transition pay and benefits, severance offers, outplacement and other support services.
“As City of Hope has grown into a national cancer system, we continue to align our resources and investments with strategic priorities that directly benefit patients and take steps to operate more efficiently. At the same time, like many health care organizations, we are navigating economic headwinds and policy changes,” said Morris of the reasons why the layoffs happened. “As a leading cancer institution, it is important that we adapt to have the greatest impact today while strengthening our ability to serve our patients in the future.”
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CoH is in the midst of a major expansion in Orange County, its second comprehensive cancer center in Califorina. In recent years, the healthcare provider moved into the county, cutting the commute for thousands of cancer patients who sought treatment in Duarte.
A $452 million hospital is nearly complete in Orange County, the first hospital dedicated exclusively to cancer care. CoH officials previously said they were recruiting more than 700 highly skilled cancer experts, registered nurses and pharmacists to work at the 73-bed hospital where patients can undergo complex surgeries, therapies and clinical trials.
The six-story hospital in Irvine will complement the outpatient center next door.
Construction on the 164,000-square-foot hospital began in 2023, not long after the cancer research and treatment system opened its outpatient cancer center in 2022. It’s expected to be open by the end of the year.
In late 2024, City of Hope paid FivePoint $88.5 million for 52 acres of land surrounding its developing Irvine cancer campus.
