Highmark Health Makes Layoffs, Looks Towards Future with AI and High-Demand Role Investments

Highmark Health, a Pittsburgh-based health insurer, recently announced layoffs affecting 47 employees, including 11 in central Pennsylvania. This decision follows a previous round of layoffs in March that impacted 182 individuals, including 40 in the Harrisburg region. Despite the recent job losses, Highmark Health has been actively hiring new employees to support its transformation efforts.

Highmark Health justified these changes as part of its ongoing efforts to adapt to evolving member needs and community dynamics through its Living Health model while ensuring financial stability. The organization is prioritizing the establishment of a future-ready workforce by assessing talent gaps, investing in high-demand roles like nursing, and leveraging technologies such as AI to meet consumer needs effectively and efficiently.

In a statement, Highmark Health emphasized the importance of transforming its operations to align with the quintuple aim: improving patient experiences, enhancing clinician satisfaction, promoting health equity and outcomes, and reducing costs. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, Highmark Inc., provides health insurance to approximately 6.9 million members in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and New York.

In 2023, the company welcomed over 6,100 new employees across its various entities, reflecting a 2% year-over-year growth. Continuing this trend, Highmark Health has already hired more than 1,300 individuals this year. The company’s focus on hiring top talent ensures that it remains at the forefront of the ever-changing healthcare landscape.

Overall, Highmark Health’s efforts to adapt and innovate are crucial for providing quality healthcare services to its members while maintaining financial stability. By investing in technology and workforce development initiatives like AI and high-demand roles like nursing, the company is positioning itself for success in an increasingly competitive industry.

Despite recent layoffs affecting some employees across different regions of Pennsylvania and beyond