Three staff members were laid off this week from Axis Health System’s Durango Integrated Healthcare clinic as part of a broader restructuring effort that eliminated a total of 13 positions across 11 counties.
Axis Health is a Colorado-based nonprofit that provides integrated medical, behavioral health and dental services – largely to rural and underserved communities. The organization operates clinics across Southwest Colorado, including its Durango location.
“Like other health care organizations, we have to make changes due to funding, structures, reimbursement (and) service lines,” said Haley Leonard-Saunders, a spokeswoman for Axis.
The restructuring follows several recent mergers, she said, and is the nonprofit’s attempt to reorganize roles to ensure “the right people are in the right places.”
The eliminated positions included a mix of administrative and patient-facing roles, she said.
Although nonprofits nationwide have felt the effects of federal funding reductions in recent years, Leonard-Saunders said the latest layoffs were not tied to specific federal cuts.
“But of course with everything happening at the federal level, we have to keep a really close eye on what may shift that impacts our service delivery,” she said. “It’s just an uncertain time.”
Looking ahead, Leonard-Saunders said no additional layoffs are planned, but the organization will continue monitoring funding and operational dynamics to ensure resources support its level of service.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
