SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Changes are in the works at Sanford Health and some of them are in the form of jobs and programs.

In a letter to employees, we received Wednesday night, CEO Bill Gassen says the health system “made the very difficult decision to streamline our leadership structure and simplify operations.”.

He also mentions closing out programs outside Sanford’s core mission.

While the letter does not mention specifics, Gassen says it will not adversely impact patient or resident care.

Read the full letter:

Sanford Family,

Over the last two years, we have worked to bring renewed focus to our central purpose of delivering exceptional health care. This includes making new investments to advance the care we provide, closing out programs outside our core mission and reducing administrative expenses.

These changes have been driven by our recognition that at the end of every decision is a patient or resident, and that remains our focal point as we move our organization forward.

This week, that work continued as we made the very difficult decision to streamline our leadership structure and simplify operations in a few focused areas. These changes are primarily in non-clinical areas and will not adversely impact patient or resident care in any way.

There’s nothing more important to our organization than our people. It is never easy to say goodbye to valued colleagues, and we deeply appreciate the contributions these employees have made to Sanford Health.

We are doing all we can to support affected colleagues and want to keep them in the Sanford Family. Many have received immediate offers for new jobs and others have been encouraged to apply for open positions across the organization. We are currently hiring for more than 6,000 positions, mainly in patient-facing roles.

Looking ahead, we are focused on strategically managing our business in ways that advance patient and community health while remaining committed to being a premier employer in the region for decades to come. This is all part of a planful effort to strengthen our focus on the patients, residents and families we care for.

I know you may be feeling the loss of co-workers and friends through this process. Please continue to take care of yourself and each other.

I have never been more confident in our future and the outstanding people of Sanford Health. Thank you for all you do every day to bring health and healing to our communities. 

Bill Gassen