Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the number of employees employed across Bronson Healthcare. The system has 8,400 employees.

Bronson Healthcare will impose salary reductions and furloughs on some employees because of revenue loss due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The health system has five hospital locations, including Bronson Battle Creek, Bronson Children's Hospital and Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, Bronson LakeView Hospital in Paw Paw and Bronson South Haven Hospital.

Bronson Healthcare employs 8,400 people across the system, including close to 1,300 medical staff.

Bronson President and CEO Bill Manns will take a 25% salary reduction, and other executives and leaders will take salary reductions according to their level of pay, according to a press release from the healthcare system. Bronson Medical Group providers will also be affected. The pay cuts will last through August 15.

Core contributions to employee retirement accounts and 403b/401k matches have also been suspended for the remainder of the year, though employees can still make personal contributions.

Furloughs will also be implemented across the Bronson Healthcare System for several hundred mostly non-clinical employees. The furloughs are not intended for those providing bedside care, according to Bronson.

The furloughs are in response to a work slowdown and a loss in revenue due to the suspension of elective surgeries and procedures, temporary closings of some services and reduced numbers of diagnostics tests and emergency department visits, according to a press release from the health system.

Affected employees are expected to be furloughed for four months, but some may be called back sooner as areas of the hospital are ramped back up.

"We are working to adapt to continuing COVID-19 care while still safely serving all of our patients," Manns said in a press release. "We are starting to ramp up surgeries and other procedures within the scope of the Governor's order with a goal of having our hospitals back to 100% by September."

Predictive models are indicating that southwest Michigan may experience ongoing community spread of COVID-19 into the fall rather than an overwhelming surge this spring, according to Bronson Healthcare.

The health system hopes to have its practices, which are currently doing video visits, return to full capacity by August.

"If we can do it sooner, we will. However, the availability of enough (personal protective equipment) to ensure the safety of our staff and patients in all settings continues to be a limiting factor," Manns said.

Bronson Healthcare System is also applying for funding through state and federal relief reimbursements and grants, according to a press release, but the timing is unpredictable.

Bronson will continue with its major projects in development, including several offices for primary care partners and a new lab at Bronson Methodist Hospital, which are all expected to open in July. Work on the Bronson Cancer Pavilion in Kalamazoo and a new hospital in South Haven will also continue, and those are expected to open in early 2021.

Contact Elena Durnbaugh at (269) 243-5938 or edurnbaugh@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ElenaDurnbaugh.