Bad news in Blount County. Blount Memorial Hospital is reducing its’ workforce by around 100 jobs. A spokesperson for the facility said the hospital made the decision to eliminate the positions because of changes in the healthcare industry, as well as federal and state government decisions. They said the positions will be eliminated on April 15. Over the last few months, hospital officials said they have been working to transition affected employees into other open positions within the system. They say that ultimately, 40 employees will be impacted by the decision.