Staff at Tufts Medicine were informed that another round of layoffs, affecting 174 employees across the system, is in the offing for the health care organization.

The news came via email from Tufts Medicine President & CEO Michael Dandorph, citing “a responsibility to stabilize our financial circumstances now to ensure we meet the long-term needs of the people and communities we serve.”

A Tufts spokesman did not respond to a question regarding how many of those 174 positions  being eliminated are from Lowell General Hospital, instead providing a statement echoing much of what Dandorph’s email to staff outlined.

“Our Tufts Medicine employees are talented, dedicated, highly-valued contributors to our mission and values. That’s why decisions like this, while sometimes necessary, are extremely difficult. While we continue to make steady progress towards our goal of financial recovery, like many other health systems, we continue to face challenges from persistent capacity issues, high contract labor expenses, and rising supply chain costs. As a result, we are taking steps to reduce the size of our workforce, affecting 174 employees, the vast majority in administrative and non-direct patient care roles, to help stabilize our financial health and best position Tufts Medicine to continue providing high-quality care to the patients and communities we proudly serve,” read the statement to InsideLowell.

The reduction in staff comes on the heels of a downsizing in January of 2023, which saw three LGH employees laid off and another 58 vacant positions eliminated. At that time, Lowell General’s workforce numbered around 3,400. According to its LinkeIn profile, the entire Tufts system has more then 15,000 employees and caregivers.