THE PVAMU
Oh Shaela'.....
Dayum...I think this is Galveston largest employer......
The governing board of the University of Texas voted this afternoon to lay off 3,800 employees at Galveston's University of Texas Medical Branch in the wake of devastating damage from Hurricane Ike.
Workers, still reeling from Ike on Sept. 13, said that although they knew the cuts were coming, hearing the news was hard.
For now, hospital workers are in a holding pattern of uncertainty and insecurity as they wait for another e-mail explaining the situation.
Zhen Yang, 33, said she never expected the local hardships when she started her career in molecular diagnostics in the lab at UTMB two years ago.
"I have to come here tomorrow anyway," Yang said. "You have to do your job."
Near the end of her career helping run the mammography department, Renee Holt, 55, is praying her job will remain.
"I was looking forward to retiring," she said.
She said she has worked for UTMB for 12 years, and before that, worked at St. Mary's Hospital for 22 years. She was born on the island, and doesn't plan to leave, even though her house was nearly gutted by Hurricane Ike's storm surge.
"Most of the jobs around here have already been taken," she said. "I don't even want to think about commuting to Houston."
Ike caused nearly $710 million in losses to UTMB when it hit the island in September and officials have said that only about $100 million of the damage is covered by insurance.
Ike blasted ashore near Galveston on Sept. 13, flattening buildings and killing at least 37 people in Texas. The storm is the most expensive in Texas history, with an estimated pricetag of $11.4 billion — so far.
However, several regents reaffirmed their commitment to keeping the medical school on the island.
"We have a medical school that will continue to operate ... and a foremost research enterprise," regent Colleen McHugh said. "We're going to keep UTMB on Galveston Island."
Dr. Kenneth Shine, interim chancellor of the UT system, said he was optimistic that most of the people laid off will be able to find work at other health care institutions. "The health care industry tends to be maintained even through an economic downturn," he said.
Source
The governing board of the University of Texas voted this afternoon to lay off 3,800 employees at Galveston's University of Texas Medical Branch in the wake of devastating damage from Hurricane Ike.
Workers, still reeling from Ike on Sept. 13, said that although they knew the cuts were coming, hearing the news was hard.
For now, hospital workers are in a holding pattern of uncertainty and insecurity as they wait for another e-mail explaining the situation.
Zhen Yang, 33, said she never expected the local hardships when she started her career in molecular diagnostics in the lab at UTMB two years ago.
"I have to come here tomorrow anyway," Yang said. "You have to do your job."
Near the end of her career helping run the mammography department, Renee Holt, 55, is praying her job will remain.
"I was looking forward to retiring," she said.
She said she has worked for UTMB for 12 years, and before that, worked at St. Mary's Hospital for 22 years. She was born on the island, and doesn't plan to leave, even though her house was nearly gutted by Hurricane Ike's storm surge.
"Most of the jobs around here have already been taken," she said. "I don't even want to think about commuting to Houston."
Ike caused nearly $710 million in losses to UTMB when it hit the island in September and officials have said that only about $100 million of the damage is covered by insurance.
Ike blasted ashore near Galveston on Sept. 13, flattening buildings and killing at least 37 people in Texas. The storm is the most expensive in Texas history, with an estimated pricetag of $11.4 billion — so far.
However, several regents reaffirmed their commitment to keeping the medical school on the island.
"We have a medical school that will continue to operate ... and a foremost research enterprise," regent Colleen McHugh said. "We're going to keep UTMB on Galveston Island."
Dr. Kenneth Shine, interim chancellor of the UT system, said he was optimistic that most of the people laid off will be able to find work at other health care institutions. "The health care industry tends to be maintained even through an economic downturn," he said.
Source
