KANSAS CITY, KAN. ? Officials at the Kansas University Medical Center have announced another round of layoffs to deal with state budget problems, and they say a similar notice could be coming on the Lawrence campus in the next few months.

According to an e-mail distributed to faculty and staff, 84 positions — 51 filled and 31 unfilled — will be eliminated July 1.

Although the proposed state budget for the next fiscal year keeps KU’s funding at the same level as this year’s, it doesn’t provide for increases for “employer costs” such as health insurance.

Kevin Boatright, associate vice chancellor for university relations, said the budget situation was similar to last year, when KU had to cut 159 jobs and other programs at its Medical Center and Lawrence campuses to counteract cuts in state funding.

“We have the same concerns about the state budget situation,” Boatright said. “The budget nearing completion in the Legislature, while it’s not being cut any further, doesn’t fund certain things. Even this budget, which doesn’t cut funding, would have some negative effects on us in terms of the things we still have to pay.”

He said those unfunded increases amounted to $1.3 million at the Medical Center and $2.5 million in Lawrence.

KU laid off 44 people, eliminated 159 positions and made other program cuts last year to deal with $18.8 million less in state funds.

Cuts at the Medical Center last year included 35 positions, ending the physical therapy program in Pittsburg and nursing neonatal intensive care master’s program, reducing library hours, cutting operating and equipment funds and reducing clinical outreach airplane flights.

In his letter to faculty and staff, Don Hagen, executive vice chancellor for the Medical Center, said department heads had been asked to cut 4.5 percent of their budgets, which is $5.8 million for the entire campus. Of that:

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• $1.6 million will be used to fund fringe benefit increases, including health insurance.
• $1.2 million will be reallocated to “critical educational, research and service initiatives in line with the chancellor’s guidance that we make strategic, not across-the-board, reduction.”
• $3 million will be held as reserve against further reductions to the state budget. If that’s not necessary, the funds will be reallocated, he said.

Hagen said the cuts included 17 faculty positions and seven administrators.

“Because a large part of our budget is committed to salary and wages, the impact of this reduction falls heavily on our most valued asset — our faculty and staff,” he wrote.

Boatright said policy rules at the Medical Center required employees there to be notified of layoffs before employees on the Lawrence campus. Last year, word of the Lawrence cuts came in June.

Although he said he couldn’t rule out layoffs on the Lawrence campus this year, Boatright said he didn’t know when notices might be distributed.