BOSTON - Mass General Brigham, the largest health care system in Massachusetts, announced layoffs Monday that will affect hundreds of workers, citing a $250 million projected budget gap.

At least three high-level employees at Nantucket Cottage Hospital left abruptly recently, after the parent company of the island's only hospital announced layoffs last week.

Facing rising costs and hoping to make its sprawling network more efficient, the state’s largest private employer aims to cut payroll costs by over $200 million.

Mass General Brigham attributed the layoffs to an expected budget shortfall of $250 billion over the next two years.

Mass General Brigham announced layoffs for hundreds of administrative and management employees on Monday in anticipation of a $250 million budget gap, an unprecedented decision for Massachusetts’ largest private employer.

Mass General Brigham announced mass layoffs aimed to bridge a $250 million budget gap projected over the next two years in a letter to employees Monday -- meaning potentially hundreds of firings may be quickly coming down the line.

Mass. General Brigham is planning to lay off hundreds of employees over the next two months as part of a broader restructuring effort to address a significant budget deficit.

Mass General Brigham plans to lay off hundreds of employees over the next two months as part of a broader restructuring effort to address a significant budget deficit. In a statement released Monday,

Nonprofit giant Mass General Brigham (MGB) will be laying off numerous non-clinical employees to close major budget shortfalls. | The major nonprofit system declined to put a number on the cuts and consolidations,

Our commitment to our mission is unwavering, despite persistent external pressures that continue to increase the financial fragility of health care providers across Massachusetts," Mass General Brigham's CEO said in a statement.

MGB said the layoffs are necessary to get ahead of an anticipated budget shortfall of $250 million over the next two years.