Thread regarding Optum layoffs

Orange county, California

The VP of Group Ops and the Medical Director made their rounds this morning. Eight primary care sites in Orange County, California were notified today, midweek, mid-morning that they will be closing effective December 5, 2025. They will be consolidating the clinics, shifting providers/staff into the few remaining sites.

Apparently, they were told no one would be let go and only reassigned to the other sites. Unsurprisingly, this was a lie. Positions were eliminated. Support staff were told they'd "try" to find other positions for them to fill, knowing full well we've been in a hiring freeze for the past year. The remaining staff in the OC are completely disgusted by leadership. Morale has never been worse. Their twisted idea of patient care means that thousands of patients are being told their doctor’s offices are closing in two weeks.

They allegedly hire the most experienced, most educated people to fill leadership roles, who get paid handsomely for their positions... and the best idea they could come up with is to RIF a bunch of staff right before the holidays, on a Thursday morning, expecting them to provide excellent patient care the next day and every day after until they're let go? Let's squeeze them more and more and see if their eyes pop out....


by
| 3966 views | | 8 replies (last ) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1kaj74xft

8 replies (most recent on top)

Horrible news. Evil corporation. No interest in patient care, just greed greed and more greed. I am disgusted by United HC/Optum. I HAVE BEEN A PT. AT Seal Family since 1995 on and off. When UHC took over Monarch it has been awful. Terrible specialists and testing sights. But I love my Providers and respect their compassion and professionalism. Corporate greed is pathetic.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @24q+1kaj74xft

@f2
I'm pretty sure Civic is "safe". By that, I mean all the remaining sites will soon be bombarded by angry and confused patients who will demand explanations for all these changes. I have no clue how or when they will be notifying patients over the next two weeks, considering half of it is spent over a long holiday weekend. The call center is inadequately trained as it is; I can't imagine the onslaught of complaints headed their way. Otherwise, front-facing staff should speak with their managers on how to best manage the chaos to come. It's inevitable.
By the way, I have thoughts that this is all of leadership's plan. They're making it unbearable to stay. Everyone's burnt out as it is, and those who are left will be forced to absorb other's patient panels.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @f5+1kaj74xft

Will santa ana location be closing too? Are they even telling where the patients will be able to go to?

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @f2+1kaj74xft

@d4 Orange County IT worker here. Had to confirm this with a co-worker.....absolutely true.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @ee+1kaj74xft

@bm
Thank you.

From my understanding, the following clinics have been affected: Euclid, Stanton, Cypress, Cerritos, Seal Beach Village, Tustin, Foothill Ranch, Laguna Hills- Moulton, and San Juan Capistrano. I guess that makes it nine instead of eight.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @d4+1kaj74xft

@c2
Money, of course. Most of these sites are booked out for at least a couple more weeks. They won't be able to squeeze more money out of their Medicare Advantage patients without those face- to-face visits....
How else is leadership going to get their millions in bonuses before the end of the year? I guess getting rid of our incentives, bonuses, and raises wasn't enough.

However, the lack of communication and transparency between the different levels of management has always been an ongoing issue. The physicians didn't even know what was happening to their clinics, staff, or patients. All of the frontline staff down here are devastated.

Just a few years ago, we busted our @$$es and put our lives, our families' lives, at risk by coming into clinics to care for our patients when COVID came around.
Every single day, we have been forced to defend Optum's irrational decisions to our disgruntled patients so they don't leave us.
They leave nasty notes on our doors. They walk into our lobbies angry, screaming, crying, confused.... and we have to muster up excuse after excuse on the spot to placate them, often having to lie because many times there is just no excuse that would make sense.
We go home knowing this.
We show up knowing this.

After yesterday, whatever little trust in management and leadership that was left is gone. They've taken so much from us. Integrity is Optum's #1 core value, and it's nothing more than a laughing point. Enough is enough. No more excuses. No more lies.
I've discussed with many since yesterday. Everyone is livid. The general consensus is that the best thing we can do to care for our patients (and ourselves) is to steer them away from UHG/Optum. We know we're all done for....

It'll be our privilege to watch them burn.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @c9+1kaj74xft

@OP
"Apparently, they were told no one would be let go and only reassigned to the other sites. Unsurprisingly, this was a lie."
I have experienced this myself in the past. I wonder what the logic is here? Would they not rather people leave before layoffs so they don't get severance? Or is it a lack of communication between managements levels?

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @c2+1kaj74xft

Post ID: @OP+1kaj74xft/ Thank you for sharing. I work in CA. What 8 sites will be closed in OC CA? Thank you.
Wishing you the best. 🙏🏻

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @bm+1kaj74xft

Post a reply

: