Syracuse, N.Y. – St. Joseph’s Health is furloughing 500 workers to help stem financial losses caused by state-mandated cancellations of outpatient surgeries and visits related to the coronavirus pandemic.

The workers being furloughed do not have jobs “…directly related to our most critical needs during this pandemic,” Leslie Paul Luke, St. Joe’s president and CEO, said in an email sent out to employees today.

St. Joe’s employs 4,800 people.

The state ordered hospitals last month to clear out beds for a surge of coronavirus patients by cancelling non-emergency surgeries and other procedures that are among the most profitable for hospitals.

The surge hasn’t happened in Syracuse yet. Syracuse’s three hospitals have more than 350 empty beds.

Trinity Health, the Michigan-based owner of St. Joe’s, expects to lose millions of dollars at its 92 hospitals nationwide during the pandemic because of the loss of this business.

“We must simultaneously continue to control our spending and reallocate resources to support our staff on the front line during this pandemic,” Luke said. He said federal relief funding for hospitals will not make up for St. Joe’s losses.

About 150 St. Joe’s employees are being reassigned to different jobs and some employees’ work schedules are being reduced to part-time. All top management officials at St. Joe’s are taking pay cuts.

Furloughed workers will retain health, dental and life insurance. Luke said St. Joe’s intends to bring them back to work when demand for care rebounds.

Mike Slubowski, Trinity’s CEO, said in a recent letter more than half of the company’s revenues come from outpatient and elective services.

Other area hospitals such as Oswego Health and Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca are also furloughing workers. Crouse Hospital is losing about $300,000 a day because of the loss of elective surgeries and outpatient business.

James T. Mulder covers health news. Have a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or jmulder@syracuse.com