Ben Raimer, the president of the University of Texas Medical Branch, has been placed on administrative leave.

Raimer said there is a $174 million budget shortfall, due in large part to the financial crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “We anticipate approximately 200 positions, or 1.5% of our workforce, will ultimately be eliminated as we close the budget gap,” Raimer wrote in the letter. “Concurrently, some departmental reorganizations also will be implemented over the next several weeks.”UTMB Health letter on layoffs (KPRC)The hospital system tried to hold off layoffs by having employees take one day off per week, using vacation time for eight weeks. They also tried to hold off on giving upper-level staff bonuses as a cost-cutting measure. UTMB Health has operations in Galveston, League City, Webster and Angleton and clinics across Southeast Texas.