The University of Vermont Health Network announced on Tuesday that they are making millions of dollars in cuts, including dozens of layoffs.UVM officials said 77 people were given notice that they were being laid off as the health network faces an affordability crisis. Hospital officials said those job cuts were unavoidable.Nine of the terminations were for leadership roles, while an additional 68 were staff roles. Another 69 vacant positions were also eliminated. The network said it is focused on reducing non-clinical expenses, meaning the reductions are almost entirely part of its shared services team and will not directly impact patient care.The job cuts are expected to save the UVM Health Network up to five million. Combined with the other cuts made on Tuesday, the network stands to save an estimated $180 million.These are in addition to the $150 million saved earlier this year through other reductions, for a total of more than $330 million.Sunny Eappen, the CEO of the UVM Health Network, said he doesn’t take the cuts lightly.”Every one of the decisions that we make represents a person, and often whole families, who are now trying to figure out what comes next,” Eappen said. “I think it’s really important to make sure that you hear that this isn’t a reflection of their work, but are the changes happening in health care that are demanding us to take this kind of action.”Officials said they hope they won’t need to make additional job cuts, but they aren’t certain what the future will hold.

The University of Vermont Health Network announced on Tuesday that they are making millions of dollars in cuts, including dozens of layoffs.

UVM officials said 77 people were given notice that they were being laid off as the health network faces an affordability crisis. Hospital officials said those job cuts were unavoidable.

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Nine of the terminations were for leadership roles, while an additional 68 were staff roles. Another 69 vacant positions were also eliminated. The network said it is focused on reducing non-clinical expenses, meaning the reductions are almost entirely part of its shared services team and will not directly impact patient care.

The job cuts are expected to save the UVM Health Network up to five million. Combined with the other cuts made on Tuesday, the network stands to save an estimated $180 million.

These are in addition to the $150 million saved earlier this year through other reductions, for a total of more than $330 million.

Sunny Eappen, the CEO of the UVM Health Network, said he doesn’t take the cuts lightly.

“Every one of the decisions that we make represents a person, and often whole families, who are now trying to figure out what comes next,” Eappen said. “I think it’s really important to make sure that you hear that this isn’t a reflection of their work, but are the changes happening in health care that are demanding us to take this kind of action.”

Officials said they hope they won’t need to make additional job cuts, but they aren’t certain what the future will hold.