Dignity Health is laying off 57 employees at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital and closing its family medicine clinic in Tehachapi next month as parent company CommonSpirit Health works through significant financial challenges.The l ayoffs at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital take effect Aug. 3. Dignity Health told 23ABC the organization is "realigning resources and enhancing operational efficiencies" to continue serving patients into the future.CommonSpirit Health is in the middle of a multiyear turnaround plan aimed at improving operations after reporting more than $1 billion in operating losses during the first nine months of its fiscal year, according to Becker's Hospital Review.CommonSpirit Health CEO Wright Lassiter III told the publication:"Nothing is off the table. We still have sacred cows in the organization. We have corners of the organization that haven't been touched like they need to be from an efficiency perspective."The Dignity Health Medical Group family medicine clinic in Tehachapi will close to patients Aug. 26. The organization says that decision was made for a separate reason.In a statement to 23ABC, Dignity Health Medical Group said:"This decision was made due to ongoing challenges in recruiting and maintaining medical providers to ensure sustainable patient access and high-quality care to our community."Patients from the Tehachapi clinic will be directed to Dignity Health clinic locations in Bakersfield.The announcements have sparked concern among healthcare workers. Registered nurses from Dignity Health's Bakersfield hospitals are expected to hold an informational picket Thursday morning, July 16, calling on CommonSpirit to reverse the layoffs and maintain safe staffing levels.Dignity Health has not said whether any of the employees losing their jobs could be transferred to other positions within the organization.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere: Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube ...read more read less