50 lose jobs at Las Vegas nonprofit.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Nevada Cancer Institute)(Brief article)

Citing poor economic conditions in the region, and nationwide, the Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) in August laid off 50 employees.

The reduction in force, some of which were unfilled positions, were "across the board," leaving about 330 employees at the Las Vegas-based organization. The institute declined to release what departments were affected, though layoffs were designed to not affect the clinical or research areas.

"Unfortunately, NVCI had to react to the worsening economic conditions in our state and across the nation," said Shelley Gitomer, vice president of development. "We first sought to address the changing economic conditions by reducing many expenses across the organization, but unfortunately, staffing reductions also were needed and affected a number of departments. Those reductions were designed to not impact patient care and core areas of research and support," she said.

"In the past, NVCI has been able to bridge the gap between the cost of providing these statewide services with clinical revenues, appropriations and grants with the generous contributions of individuals and organizations," Gitomer said.

According to its IRS Form 990, the organization raised approximately $45 million in public support last year, down from $58 million in 2006, and slightly more than the $44 million in 2005. "We constantly have an aggressive fundraising campaign to address all of our current and future programming needs all the time," Gitomer said. "The money was raised for people and programs," she said, adding that several large donations made for a successful year in 2007.

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