The Queen’s Health Systems is eliminating about 100 positions at its hospitals to maintain sustainable operations and adapt to changing times.

Queen’s did not specify which positions or how many positions, exactly, were being eliminated, and did not offer a timeline of when they would go into effect.

“In response to the evolving needs of the communities we serve, the technological advances that have changed health care delivery, and the challenges affecting health care sustainability across the country, we have taken a careful look at our operations, aimed at finding ways to enhance our effectiveness and efficiency,” Queen’s President and CEO Jason Chang said today in a statement. “This was done in order to determine what is necessary to continue to uphold the legacy of our Founders, Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV, of providing quality healthcare services to improve the well-being of all the people of Hawaii over the long term.”

He continued, “This process included identifying areas where needs have changed and/or where services could be delivered more efficiently. While the resulting changes will ultimately make us stronger in the long term, one consequence is the need to change or eliminate positions.”

The Hawaii Nurses’ Association said about 100 employees, mostly nonunion, have been informed their jobs are being eliminated. HNA represents seven nurses being laid off in the pre-surgery center.

HNA President Rosalee Agas-Yuu called today a dark day for The Queen’s Medical Center.

“Today, about a hundred of our colleagues were told their jobs were being eliminated because they were not in profitable cost centers and were not in departments that provided opportunities for the hospital system,” said Agas-Yuu in a written statement. “Our heart goes out to the healthcare professionals who faithfully stood by us in our time of need.”

She added, “These downsizings and messages shared with employees showed the hospital’s disregard for our healthcare team members who are having a positive impact in the lives of patients and reinforced the hospital’s primary focus is on the bottom line.”

The move comes just a few weeks after a strike by registered nurses was narrowly averted at the Queen’s Punchbowl and West Oahu campuses.

The Hawaii Nurses’ Association, which represents more than 1,900 nurses at Queen’s, had been negotiating for a new contract since mid-April, with the strike scheduled on Jan. 13.

Union nurses ratified the new contract with Queen’s, which included a nearly 17% wage increase over three years and improved staffing ratios tailored to the specific needs of units, plus a renewed focus on employee well-being and RN workload support.

HNA also announced today that the majority of 65 respiratory therapists at The Queen’s Medical Center at Punchbowl signed union-authorization cards to join the union. The therapists presented a signed letter to the hospital’s leaders, seeking Queen’s voluntary recognition of the group as HNA members.

Chang said in a statement that less than 1% of the organization is being impacted by the changes.

“For those affected, we are deeply committed to supporting them as they explore other opportunities, both within our health system, where we have a number of openings, as well as externally,” he said in the statement. “We fully understand the personal and professional impact this decision has, and we are providing them with resources to assist with applications and job searches. Throughout this transition, our focus remains on delivering the compassionate, high-quality care that our patients deserve.”