Conifer Health Solutions, the revenue cycle management arm of Tenet Healthcare, has announced it is closing its collections operation at a location in Detroit, Mich., and laying off 65 employees.
The company filed a notice with the state Workforce Development agency, saying the layoffs will go into effect on Aug. 15, when the company stops performing “onsite accounts receivable services” at the location. The company is closing the office and the remaining workers will “transition” to telecommuting positions, the company announced.
“We are adjusting central business office staffing support performed by Conifer in Detroit to align with current business needs and ensure we are positioned to continue providing the highest quality service to clients and patients,” the company said in an emailed statement, according to a published report. “We are working individually with affected team members, and providing them with support in the form of severance and outplacement assistance, either within Conifer or outside of the organization.”
Tenet has been trying for more than a year to find a buyer for Conifer, which provides most of the revenue to the parent company. Tenet was saddled with $15 billion in debt and the hope was that by selling the RCM unit, it could shed some of that debt and turn itself around. Conifer employs more than 16,000 people nationwide.
Last year, Conifer announced it was laying off 81 employees at a collection operation in North Carolina. Those individuals were subsequently hired by the healthcare facility at which they were working.