The plan to consolidate all acute hospital care at the Silverdale campus in the next three to four years should not result in a reduction-in-force, Harrison Medical Center President and CEO Scott Bosch said May 23.

“I’m very optimistic this won’t require any involuntary turnover,” Bosch said.

That does not mean staffing levels will remain the same. There are 511 part-time and 765 full-time employees at the hospital in Bremerton. The hospital in Silverdale has 245 part-time employees and 100 full-time employees. Bosch said a reduction in duplicative services will shrink the workforce, but the expansion of the Silverdale campus, which he estimates will cost $220 million to $240 million, will create new jobs.

Bosch believes attrition during the next few years will prevent the need for layoffs.

“I would say there’s universal support for this,” he said, referring to the hospital’s medical staff.

But calls seeking comments from physicians and other hospital staff, whom were briefed about the plan after the media, were not returned May 23.

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21 spokesman Tom Geiger was surprised when notified about the plan.

“It just strikes me as odd that a larger employer would make a big announcement like this on a Friday before a big weekend,” he said. “I am sure it is raising a lot of questions about health care coverage in our community.”

Harrison Medical Center has multiple locations, including Bremerton, and services already established in Silverdale, as well as various health partner sites in Port Townsend, Port Ludlow, Port Orchard, Forks, Poulsbo and Sequim.

Approximately 1,500 of Harrison’s employees are represented by two unions and four bargaining agreements. UFCW Local 21 represents registered nurses as well as dietary and service, and professional technical groups. The Teamsters No. 589 represents operating engineers.