BROOKHAVEN (AP) — King’s Daughters Medical Center in Brookhaven will lay off 40 employees over the next few weeks and hospital officials say an increase of uninsured patients is the reason for the staff reduction.

KDMC Chief Executive Officer Alvin Hoover said the hospital’s non-recoupable expenses from uninsured patient emergency room admissions have caused its bad debt to grow from an average of five percent of the hospital’s gross revenue to as much as 10 percent over the last five years.

The hospital decided Tuesday to layoff 40 employees.

Hospitals are legally required to admit all ER visitors. Hoover says there are some who take advantage, using the ER as a free doctor’s office.