Highmark's IT company axes 132 positions in Pittsburgh

Highmark’s IT company “continues to be on a growth path” in spite of eliminating 239 positions across Pennsylvania and Delaware, including 132 jobs in Pittsburgh, Highmark officials said Friday.

People who received layoff notices this week worked for HM Health Solutions in the areas of platform and technology, portfolio management and customer operations, Highmark spokeswoman Lynn Seay said.

Seay attributed the layoff notices issued this week to recurring efforts to “assess the best avenues to enhance the organization to ensure that we are delivering the best outcomes.”

“While this was a difficult decision, it was made with the best long-term interest of our employees and customers,” Seay said in a statement. “It will position the company to continue its success in a very competitive market and advance our patient-centered mission in the most effective and efficient manner.”

Officials are offering severance packages to displaced employees and attempting to identify other positions for them elsewhere in the organization, Seay said.

In addition to 132 positions axed in Pittsburgh, the cuts included 74 positions in Camp Hill, 11 in Delaware , five in Wilkes Barre and 17 remote or roving workers.

Friday’s announcement follows the elimination of 40 positions at HM Health Solutions in January, including 25 in Pittsburgh.

Since March 2014, HM Health Solutions has grown from just over 2,000 employees to more than 3,200, for an increase of more than 60%, officials said.

HM Health Solutions is part of Highmark Health, which employs more than 40,000.