Two weeks after detailing the need for massive cost-savings, the University of Rochester Medical Center announced this week that it will begin furloughing employees as early as May 10, and some furloughs could last months.

"On April 15, we shared with you the formidable financial challenges facing the University and Medical Center and outlined a number of austerity measures, including the potential for staff furloughs," URMC Chief Executive Dr. Mark Taubman and Chief Financial Officer Adam Anolik told staff in an email this week.

"After exhausting other alternatives for cost savings, it is now painfully apparent that a temporary workforce reduction will be necessary at URMC."

► Hard times hit Rochester's largest employer

Earlier this month University of Rochester officials announced that furloughs and pay cuts would be coming because of the dire financial impacts of COVID-19. The private university employs roughly 29,000 people in the Rochester area, with about 90% of those workers associated with the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Like hospitals across the country, URMC braced for the wave of COVID-19 patients with cutbacks in nonessential medical services. Those lost revenues have taken a toll, officials say.

The expected losses were once as much as $500 million, though the cost-cutting measures are expected to reduce that to between $300 million and $400 million by the end of June.

According to the recent email, URMC hopes to be able to recall employees, but a time frame is uncertain. URMC managers have been working with human resource officials to determine how best to cut costs, the email stated.

The email continued: "At the same time, now that we are at a prolonged steady state in the COVID-19 outbreak, we have begun to increase our volumes by recalling those patients whose care was delayed.

"This is absolutely the right thing to do medically, and it will also mean that we can begin to gradually recall staff. We are hopeful that most employees will be able to return within three to four months as operations return to normal, although it is impossible to predict given the uncertain nature of the outbreak."

(Includes reporting from staff writer Sean Lahman.)

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Contact Gary Craig at gcraig@gannett.com or at 585-258-2479. Follow him on Twitter at gcraig1. This coverage is only possible with support from readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.