State Department of Health to lay off employees

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Dozens of employees at the Oklahoma State Department of Health were handed their walking papers Friday.

According to a statement released by the department Friday afternoon, "The 37 positions eliminated today include unclassified employees at both the OSDH central office as well as county health departments across the state."

The positions affected include: Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRN), local emergency response coordinators, partnership consultants, as well as staff in records evaluation and support, minority health, office of performance management, and the center for health innovation and effectiveness.

A second round of layoffs is scheduled for march 2018, at which time the department says 161 positions will be eliminated.

The employees filling those positions will be notified of their elimination early next week.

Representatives with the Oklahoma Public Employees Association say the department couldn't have picked a worse time to announce layoffs. And, they say, those affected are paying for mistakes made by former leaders.

"The previous leadership for whatever reason left a horrible situation over there,” said Tom Dunning, communications director for OPEA. “The impact is going to certainly be felt by these employees who are losing their jobs, but also the clients they serve."

State Rep. Kevin Calvey says he feels misled by the department after they requested an emergency $30 million dollars from the legislature and received it.

"That $30 million obviously isn't being used for payroll, since they're laying these people off,” he said. “So I feel terrible for the employees. But you know the legislature in good faith provided that money and then we find out today that they're being laid off. There's something really fishy going on here."

All employees affected by both rounds of layoffs will be entitled to 18 months of paid employee-only insurance premiums calculated at the 2018 rate, as well as longevity payment for next anniversary date and their annual leave balance.

The department says job placement assistance will also be provided by the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development.

Interim OSDH Commissioner Preston Doerflinger also announced today that the furlough for OSDH employees who make more than $35,000 per year will end with the pay period ending December 23.