Talent Tuesday: The Healthcare Workforce

Taking a break from who is hiring and who was hired, we rounded up some reading on the state of the healthcare workforce. Like many things in our lives for the few years the pandemic has taken a toll on it. The healthcare workforce might be on the top of the list of disruption. With 18% of healthcare workers having left their jobs and another 12% being laid off, what are the solutions for healthcare as a whole? You can’t open a paper, magazine, or watch news and not hear about the crisis that has evolved. Here are some insights and reports.

To Read

Omnia Health
What is the cure for the global healthcare worker shortage? By Praseeda Nair, Omnia Health – The global healthcare landscape faces an unprecedented challenge: a severe scarcity of healthcare resources and limited accessibility. Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, structural issues such as a lack of long-term workforce planning, inadequate retention, the international migration of healthcare professionals, and an ageing workforce already set the stage for this predicament. However, the solutions are just as complex.

Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce Issues Recommendations in its Final Report
The Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce is calling for efforts to reduce barriers to training, expand Medicaid, boost incentives for those working in underserved areas and more. Gov. Tony Evers recently announced the task force has issued its final report, which includes a wide array of recommendations for supporting Wisconsin’s health care workforce. He says the plan will bring more workers into the health sector and ensure access to care and a high quality of life.

Phenom
Navigating Healthcare’s Talent Crisis: Trends, Challenges, and Tech Solutions By Maggie Blehar, Phenom – The healthcare industry employs approximately 20 million people in the US and faces significant challenges in attracting and retaining talent, primarily due to issues such as burnout and stress, compensation discrepancies, and the overwhelming amount of administrative tasks. Regulatory and certification requirements, geographical disparities, and chronic understaffing contribute to high turnover rates and difficulty in maintaining a stable workforce.

Staffing Industry Analysts
Addressing the nursing staffing crisis: Current challenges and strategies for the future By Chris Sund, Staffing Industry Analysts – As we navigate the post-pandemic world, the healthcare industry faces significant challenges, particularly in nursing staffing. After attending recent healthcare conferences and engaging with HR and talent acquisition leaders from across the country, it’s clear that the landscape is fraught with both difficulties and opportunities. This article synthesizes insights from recent reports to provide a comprehensive view of the current state of nursing staffing and potential strategies for improvement.

Indeed
Indeed’s “Pulse of Healthcare 2024 Report” Reveals Healthcare Worker Priorities and Employer Misperceptions By Angelo Mendoza – Healthcare workers are the heartbeat of our healthcare system, yet the system is caught in a cycle with decreasing supply of workers and increasing demand. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US healthcare industry will experience about 1.8 million job openings added per year over the next decade. However, the industry faces a projected worker shortage in the hundreds of thousands within the next ten years.

MCHC
Challenges in Healthcare Administration- Staff Shortages By Joseph Newsome – Many industries are experiencing administrative burden, and healthcare has no shortage. The spider web, reaches to every area from patient care, payment and regulatory compliance. The threat of failure is brought to the forefront with the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by Steward Health Care in 2024. The Dallas based company is one of the nation’s largest private hospital operators with 31 locations in eight states.

Hospital Careers
Collaborative Approaches for Healthcare Staffing IssuesFrom Hospital Careers Blog – Year after year, the healthcare industry experiences a shortage of staff members. Projections show that, by the year 2032, the physician shortage will increase by nearly 122,000; by 2025, home health aides will likely experience a shortage of over 400,000, and Nurse practitioners will additionally recede by an impactful shortage of 29,400 members. Seeing as healthcare is one of the most important industries, this major staffing issue is a legitimate crisis, one that requires a viable solution to preserve the safety of both existing staff members and patients. Here, We’ll review the reasons for the staffing decline in the healthcare industry, along with its impact and ways to remedy this issue, both for now, and far in the future.

CDW
Learn How to Protect Patients and Workers Amid Staffing Challenges in Healthcare By CDW Expert – Learn how addressing workforce shortages, burnout and the interconnectedness of patient safety and worker well-being is crucial to protecting both patients and healthcare providers amid industry staffing challenges.

Health eCareers
Top Challenges Facing Healthcare Workers By Stephanie Davis, Health eCareers – Working in healthcare has many benefits: It’s an in-demand field (the industry is expected to grow by 13 percent from 2021 to 2031), and the work can be rewarding as you make a meaningful difference in the lives of your patients and their families. But you’re also likely to encounter certain challenges. Read on to see the top concerns of healthcare employees in 2024—and discover what can be done to mitigate them.

To Listen

From FINN Voices, host Beth Friedman talks with TruBridge’s Chief People Officer, Amaris McComas. They discuss upskilling the healthcare workforce to prepare for AI.

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Mercer
When: Thursday, September 5, 2024 12:00 pm ET
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LinkedIn: Mercer

Navigating the healthcare workforce crisis – The healthcare industry has faced significant risks stemming from the shortage of healthcare workers, rising labor costs and continued pressure on operating margins. While shortages for some healthcare occupations have improved since the post-pandemic period, shortages for several occupations are predicted to remain through 2028. Recent Mercer research suggests that some locations will experience surpluses of critical talent while others will experience significant shortages. In order to effectively navigate this dynamic landscape, it is important for healthcare employers to understand where the talent will and won’t be and which occupations will be most at risk.