Hennepin County Medical Center intends to lay off about 2 percent of its full-time staff, amounting to 131 workers, the hospital said Thursday.
 
Employees working in environmental services, clerical positions and back-of-house departments, such as bioelectrics, were those primarily targeted by the reduction, the Star Tribune reported.
 
HCMC announced last December that it would cut as many as 275 jobs across its multiple facilities. The Minneapolis-based hospital cited rising costs in medical equipment and staffing, along with a decline in public reimbursement support, as reason for the layoffs.
 
During a county board meeting late last year, HCMC reported upwards of $20 million in annual losses. Facing a potential $24 million loss in 2017, the hospital said it would eliminate jobs as a means to balance its budget.
 
In response to the recent round of layoffs, HCMC chief executive Dr. Jon Pryor told the Star Tribune that the hospital did its “best to ensure that the reduction in force has been done in an equitable and respectful way.”
 
HCMC originally planned to disclose its layoff plans between mid- to late-January. It said the jobs cuts would be effective starting in March.