Erie County Medical Center plans to reduce its workforce by about 3% as the hospital grapples with inadequate reimbursements and rising costs. Approximately 150 employees are being laid off, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told WIVB News 4. The hospital on Buffalo’s East Side also announced that all management employees will take an unpaid one-week furlough in 2026. The hospital cited insurance companies denying and delaying payment for patient care services at an alarming rate as an additional factor in its financial difficulties. “ECMC will continue to provide the high-quality, national best-in-class care our community expects and deserves,” the hospital stated.