MedicAlert Foundation, based in Turlock, announced Monday that it has cut 31 jobs in order to significantly reduce expenses as part of an action plan intended to better focus on its core mission.
The Foundation, which produces bracelets and other medical IDs with information emergency responders, cited the need “to better align the Foundation’s resources to the core service it provides to millions of MedicAlert customers around the world,” according to the release.
According to MedicAlert spokesperson Jillian Price, 31 of the 90 jobs at the Foundation were cut — bringing the current number of employees down to 59.
"MedicAlert Foundation is embarking on its 59th anniversary in 2015," Dan McCormick, Interim CEO, said in the release. "We are constantly making decisions to improve the cost and quality of our services. The totality of decisions made today, while significant, will enable MedicAlert to sustain and improve upon the important work it does around the world now and in the future."
The lost jobs are from “across the organization,” said Price in an email, adding that jobs have been cut in the call center, manufacturing, and administrative departments.
"We place great value on our employees and the work they do on a daily basis for our customers,” Board Chairman Calvin Bland said in the release. “Therefore, we wanted to do everything we could to make this difficult transition as heartfelt and compassionate as possible."
According to the release, severance packages, including resume development support and job placement assistance, were provided to the 31 affected employees.
The cuts, effective Monday, in both labor and non-labor expenses “comes on the heels of a complete business review that demonstrated a need for the Foundation to better adapt to the peaks and valleys of the business cycle and the evolving needs of its members, affiliates and partners,” according to the release.
While the medical ID bracelets are the most recognizable item, MedicAlert also makes necklaces, sports bracelets, and arm bands, among other items, all of which have medical information used by emergency responders in medical emergencies.
The release also cited “significant new competition” as a reason for the downsizing.
The MedicAlert Foundation was established in 1956 and pioneered the use of medical IDs and delivers a trusted Emergency Identification and Medical Information Network.
