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Challenges Facing Healthcare Workforce in 3rd Year of COVID-19 Pandemic
Adam Rousey, Senior Vice President of VISTA Staffing Solutions joined with Becker’s Healthcare to discuss the top challenges facing America’s workforce as the U.S. enters the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The podcast discussed the challenges facing the healthcare workforce in America during the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges include staffing shortages, burnout, and cost. Additionally, the podcast discussed how hospitals are addressing these challenges through strategies such as increased salaries and the use of contract labor. Finally, the podcast highlights the impact of digital transformation on the delivery of care.
Staffing shortages
Every day, hospitals around the country are facing critical staffing shortages, especially when it comes to patient-facing staff such as nurses and doctors. This is a problem that has always existed in the healthcare industry, but the spread of the global pandemic has made these shortages far more severe and costly to address. On average, around 18 to 30 percent of clinical staff turnover currently.
At VISTA Staffing Solutions, we have seen an increase in demand for our services that has mirrored the national trend in staffing shortages.
Burnout
Burnout is one of the biggest challenges facing the healthcare industry today.
According to recent surveys, healthcare professionals are leaving their jobs at alarming rates, with the resignation rate in 2021 being the second-highest of any industry.
While many factors contribute to burnout, some of the main root causes include long hours, difficult assignments, and a lack of adequate compensation.
To tackle this issue, healthcare organizations must focus on both recruitment and retention strategies. For example, they can work to improve workplace conditions and invest in employee training programs to keep staff members engaged and committed to their work.
Organizations must take steps to foster a culture of collaboration and support among healthcare professionals so that they feel valued and appreciated for their contributions.
Cost
Salaries are up. Bonuses are up. Contract labor is up. From 2019 to the end of 2021, overall expenses increased from 11-20%.
This increased cost burden falls on the already narrow margin that hospitals operate on.
Multiple studies have shown that approximately 90% of hospitals are reporting they’re utilizing contract labor and 85% are using locum tenens.
As one of the leaders in the industry, VISTA feels like we have an obligation to help mitigate some of the increases in cost and help hospitals manage the bottom line.
Our experience and knowledge in this area place VISTA in a unique position to address this challenge.
We are committed to working with hospitals to find creative ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Digital Transformation
In recent years, hospitals have faced many challenges, including the rise of telemedicine, predictive modeling, analytics, and robotics.
There’s been a shift away from traditional hospital-based care and towards models that put the patient at the center.
We’re seeing acute care models with significant investments in a hub and spoke model. This is where there is a specific location in a community that deploys out to home care, remote care, and other community-based services.
Healthcare is finding new ways to deliver care outside of the hospital with the ultimate goal of keeping people healthy and out of the hospital long-term.
