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Alameda County board votes to defer Alameda Health System layoffs and create ad hoc working group
Summary
After extended deliberations about proposed staffing and program cuts at Alameda Health System, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to defer March 9 layoffs, direct staff to refine alternatives and to form an ad hoc working group to seek solutions and report back March 17.
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on March 3 to defer planned Alameda Health System (AHS) layoffs scheduled for March 9 while county staff and AHS leadership develop alternatives to the proposed staffing and program reductions.
County staff told the board that AHS notified the county on Jan. 6 of proposed reductions and that the board had previously asked the county administrator, auditor-controller and AC Health interim director to identify options to mitigate an estimated $10 million in savings for the final quarter of the fiscal year. During deliberations supervisors emphasized the impact of federal HR 1 funding cuts and asked for further state advocacy, revised payment schedules and adjustments to AHS’s line of credit as possible mitigation steps.
Supervisor Nate Miley moved that the board "defer the 03/09/2026 layoffs and identify alternate non‑patient facing positions for reduction;" the motion also directed the county administrator, auditor and AC Health interim director to continue working with AHS leadership to refine options on payment terms, line-of‑credit adjustments and alternate service models, and to schedule a report back on March 17. The motion named an ad hoc working group — Supervisors Miley and Fortunato Bass — to interface with AHS leadership, labor and stakeholders; the board recorded a unanimous roll-call vote in favor.
AHS leadership told the board it had already adjusted proposed actions based on public and clinical staff feedback and said further refinements were possible, including seeking board approval of a deferral by the AHS board. Supervisors encouraged ongoing engagement with clinicians and labor and said they wanted to identify time-limited, practical solutions before the new fiscal year. County counsel and staff also recommended that the board designate AHS to provide a 24‑hour information service and complaint line under Health & Safety Code provisions; the board approved that designation with the same unanimous vote.
The board’s actions do not eliminate AHS’s stated structural imbalance; they pause the specific layoffs and set a near-term process for staff and trustees to identify alternatives, with updates to return to the board at its March 17 meeting.
AHS and county staff will continue to work with labor and clinical staff, explore revenue and contract changes, and report specific options and timelines at the March 17 meeting.
