Providers scramble for staff to care for pandemic's sick
Skip to main content
MDHC_Logotype_white
Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • This Week's News
    • COVID-19
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition
    • Two travel nurses wearing personal protective equipment.
      Healthcare providers face high costs, demand for agency staff as COVID-19 rages
      By the Numbers: 20 largest healthcare investment banks in 2020
      merrill goozner
      Biden's COVID-19 plan 
a test of American resolve
      Avocado
      Avocado a day keeps the doctor away
    • A phone screen showing the question, "Mary we hope this information was helpful and we'd like to keep guiding you. Are you interested in knowing when it's your turn to receive the vaccine?"
      Chatbots, texting campaigns help manage influx of COVID vax questions
      Dr. Karen DeSalvo
      Next Up Podcast: What to expect with telehealth and healthcare technology in the next 4 years
      Two travel nurses wearing personal protective equipment.
      Healthcare providers face high costs, demand for agency staff as COVID-19 rages
      An older man wearing a mask receiving a vaccine.
      Want more diversity in clinical trials? Start with the researchers
    • Health suffers as rural hospitals close
      Medicare ACO participants fell in 2021
      Louisiana gets reports vaccine providers are discriminating
      'We know this is real': New clinics aid virus 'long-haulers'
    • Last-minute COVID costs cut into UnitedHealthcare's $396 million operating income
      CMS approves rule forcing insurers to ease prior authorization
      COVID-19 still a big uncertainty for insurers in 2021
      Health insurers' outlook boosted after Dems' Georgia win
    • It's a secret: California keeps key virus data from public
      lacewell_linda_supertinendent_dept_of_financial_services_8.47.jpg
      New York state investigates drug price spikes during pandemic
      Health experts blame rapid expansion for vaccine shortages
      HHS freezes rule targeting community health centers' drug discounts
    • By the Numbers: 20 largest healthcare investment banks in 2020
      Providers await new HHS coronavirus grant reporting deadline
      Operation Warp Speed Dr. Moncef Slaoui, Pfizer Group President Angela Hwang, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel, CVS Health Executive Vice President Karen Lynch and McKesson CEO Brian Tyler participate in a panel discussion on the COVID-19 vaccine.
      Hospitals, drug companies strive to stand out virtually at JPM
      Intermountain, Trinity, Memorial Hermann behind $300M private equity fund
    • Dr. Karen DeSalvo
      Next Up Podcast: What to expect with telehealth and healthcare technology in the next 4 years
      Next Up Podcast: What to expect with telehealth and healthcare technology in the next 4 years - Transcript
      A man in a room with servers.
      Momentum grows to outsource hospital tech functions in 2021
      5 things to know about Google's $2.1B Fitbit acquisition
    • An older man wearing a mask receiving a vaccine.
      Want more diversity in clinical trials? Start with the researchers
      Avocado
      Avocado a day keeps the doctor away
      50% of Americans make resolutions. Fewer than 27% keep them over time.
      Data Points: Sticking with your resolutions
      U.K. chief scientist says new virus variant may be more deadly
    • Cerner names Erceg as new CFO
      Elizabeth Richter will serve as acting CMS administrator
      Providence names new chief financial officer
      Wisconsin's top health official departing for federal job
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Insights
    • ACA 10 Years After
    • Best Practices
    • InDepth Special Reports
    • Innovations
    • The Affordable Care Act after 10 years
    • New care model helps primary-care practices treat obesity
      doctor with patient
      COVID-19 treatment protocol developed in the field helps patients recover
      Rachel Wyatt
      Project to curb pressure injuries in hospitals shows promise
      Yale New Haven's COVID-19 nurse-staffing model has long-term benefits
    • Michellene Davis
      Healthcare leadership lacks the racial diversity needed to reduce health disparities
      Dr. James Hildreth
      How medical education can help fight racism
      Modern Healthcare InDepth: Breaking the bias that impedes better healthcare
      Videos: Healthcare industry executives describe their encounters with racism
      Quotes from rebadged employees
      Outsourcing IT, revenue cycle takes toll on internal culture
    • A phone screen showing the question, "Mary we hope this information was helpful and we'd like to keep guiding you. Are you interested in knowing when it's your turn to receive the vaccine?"
      Chatbots, texting campaigns help manage influx of COVID vax questions
      A woman with a wearable sensor talking to her provider.
      Wearable sensors help diagnose heart rhythm problems in West Virginia
      self service station
      COVID-19 pushes patient expectations toward self-service
      Targeting high-risk cancer patients with genetics
  • Transformation
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Highmark Health inks six-year cloud, tech deal with Google
      Study: 1 in 5 patients report discrimination when getting healthcare
      HHS proposes changing HIPAA privacy rules
      Android health records app launches at 230 health systems
    • California hospitals prepare ethical protocol to prioritize lifesaving care
      Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Berkshire Hathaway disband Haven
      Digital pathways poised to reshape healthcare continuum in 2021
      Healthcare was the hardest hit by supply shortages across all U.S. industries
    • A phone screen showing the question, "Mary we hope this information was helpful and we'd like to keep guiding you. Are you interested in knowing when it's your turn to receive the vaccine?"
      Chatbots, texting campaigns help manage influx of COVID vax questions
      A woman with a wearable sensor talking to her provider.
      Wearable sensors help diagnose heart rhythm problems in West Virginia
      New care model helps primary-care practices treat obesity
      How hospitals are building on COVID-19 telehealth momentum
    • Regional insurers bet big on virtual-first plans
      MedPAC votes to boost hospital payments, freeze or cut other providers
      Most Next Gen ACOs achieved bonuses in 2019
      Congress recalibrates Medicare Physician Fee Schedule after lobbying
  • Data/Lists
    • Rankings/Lists
    • Interactive Databases
    • Data Points
    • Health Systems Financials
      Executive Compensation
      Physician Compensation
  • Op-Ed
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
    • Wellstar CEO calls adapting for the pandemic her bold move
      Howard P. Kern
      Recognizing the value of telehealth in its infancy
      Dr. Stephen Markovich
      A bold move helped take him from family doctor to OhioHealth CEO
      Dr. Bruce Siegel
      Why taking a hospital not-for-profit was Dr. Bruce Siegel’s boldest move
    • Barry Ostrowsky
      Ending racism is a journey taken together; the starting point must be now
      Laura Lee Hall and Gary Puckrein
      Increased flu vaccination has never been more important for communities of color
      John Daniels Jr.
      Health equity: Making the journey from buzzword to reality
      Mark C. Clement and David Cook
      We all need to 'do something' to fight inequities and get healthcare right, for every patient, every time
    •  Alan B. Miller
      Looking ahead with optimism as we continue to transform healthcare
      Dr. Bruce Siegel
      By protecting the healthcare safety net, Biden can put us on the path to a stronger country
      Healing healthcare: some ideas for triage by the new Congress, administration
      Dr. Sachin H. Jain
      Medicare for All? The better route to universal coverage would be Medicare Advantage for All
    • Letters: Eliminating bias in healthcare needs to be ‘deliberate and organic’
      Letters: Maybe dropping out of ACOs is a good thing for patients
      Letters: White House and Congress share blame for lack of national COVID strategy
      Letters: VA making strides to improve state veterans home inspections
    • Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      How blockchain could ease frustration with the payment process
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Three steps to better data-sharing for payer and provider CIOs
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Reduce total cost of care: 6 reasons why providers and payers should tackle the challenge together
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Why CIOs went from back-office operators to mission-critical innovators
  • Awards
    • Award Programs
    • Nominate
    • Previous Award Programs
    • Other Award Programs
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare Logo for Navigation
      Nominations Open - Best Places to Work in Healthcare
      Nominations Open - Health Care Hall of Fame
      Nominations Open - 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top 25 Innovators
    • Top 25 Minority Leaders
    • Top 25 Women Leaders
    • Excellence in Nursing Awards
    • Design Awards
    • Top 25 COOs in Healthcare
    • 100 Top Hospitals
    • ACHE Awards
  • Events
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Webinars
    • COVID-19 Event Tracker
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Healthcare Transformation Summit
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Workplace of the Future Conference
    • Strategic Marketing Conference
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Minority Leaders Gala (2022)
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
  • Listen
    • Podcast - Next Up
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Dr. Karen DeSalvo
      Next Up Podcast: What to expect with telehealth and healthcare technology in the next 4 years
      Carter Dredge
      Next Up Podcast: Ready, set, innovate! Innovation and disruption in healthcare
      Next Up Podcast: COVID-19, social determinants highlight health inequities — what next?
      Ceci Connolly
      Next Up Podcast: How to navigate the murky post-election waters
    • Beyond the Byline: Regulators aim to boost value push with fraud and abuse law updates
      An older man wearing a mask receiving a vaccine.
      Beyond the Byline: Verifying information on the chaotic COVID-19 vaccine rollout
      doctor burnout
      Beyond the Byline: How healthcare supply chain struggles contribute to employee burnout
      Beyond the Byline: Covering race and diversity in the healthcare industry
    • Leading intention promote diversity and inclusion
      Introducing Healthcare Insider Podcast
    • The Check Up: Chip Kahn
      The Check Up: Chip Kahn of the Federation of American Hospitals
      The Check Up: Trenda Ray
      The Check Up: Trenda Ray of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
      The Check Up: Dr. Kenneth Davis
      The Check Up: Dr. Kenneth Davis of Mount Sinai Health System
      The Check Up: Dr. Thomas McGinn
      The Check Up: Dr. Thomas McGinn of CommonSpirit Health
    • Video: Ivana Naeymi Rad of Intelligent Medical Objects
  • MORE +
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Newsletters
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Transformation Hub

Where healthcare challenges find solutions

  • Patients
  • Operations
  • Care Delivery
  • Payment
Operations
December 04, 2020 06:00 AM

Providers scramble for staff to care for pandemic's sick

Ginger Christ
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Modern Healthcare Illustration / Getty Images

    As COVID-19 cases surge across the country, the competition for healthcare staff is becoming high stakes.

    Hospitals and nursing homes are facing similar dilemmas. In Wisconsin, nursing homes are struggling to accept patients from overrun hospitals, according to John Sauer, president and CEO of LeadingAge Wisconsin, which represents aging service providers.

    "We will not admit individuals for whom we don't have staff," Sauer said. "Right now, we're pulling out all the stops. We're looking at bringing in workers from out of state to provide help on a temporary basis."

    But those workers come at a cost, one that nursing homes, which have already been burdened with the expense of personal protective equipment, COVID-19 testing and infection control measures, will struggle to cover, Sauer said.

    "We're going to pay the piper for those higher costs," Sauer said. Without federal assistance, he predicts, "We're going to see many facilities fail in 2021."

    Across the U.S., healthcare providers are doing whatever it takes to staff their facilities, even if it means going into the red. They are halting elective surgeries, cross training workers, bringing in staffing agencies and turning to retired healthcare professionals to find enough people to take care of the nation's sick. Yet, at the same time, some clinicians are retiring early, and others are leaving the profession from burnout or safety concerns, putting more strain on an already depleted workforce.

    "It is very challenging, as you can imagine, hospital staffing, now that we've been fighting this pandemic for nine months," said Nancy Foster, vice president of quality and patient safety policy for the American Hospital Association. "We, obviously, especially in this surge, need all of the available clinical experts providing care to those in need of hospital care."

    Chase Farmer, vice president of staffing firm Medical Solutions, said that if there were 1,000 ICU nurses sitting on the sidelines right now, there would be jobs for them, and he estimates the number of open positions across the country has likely more than doubled since the pandemic began. He related the staffing supply and demand problem to the N95 mask shortage.

    "The big difference is we can't just have Medical Solutions operate 24 hours a day to produce more nurses. It's not like opening up a manufacturing plant," Farmer said.

    On top of that, the issues that led to a nursing shortage before the pandemic are being compounded, he said. Fewer people are entering the field, and more experienced workers are retiring than was the case just nine months ago.

    Recently, Mayo Clinic reported that 1,443 of its employees in the Midwest, 2.6% of the system's staff in the region, were either out of work because of a COVID-19 diagnosis or from exposure. Of those workers, 93% were infected through community spread. Similarly, Cleveland Clinic said had about 1,000 employees out across its system because of COVID-19, most of whom contracted the virus through community spread.

    "Due to the rise in cases, we are concerned about staffing levels and taking steps to ensure we have enough caregivers to meet the needs of our patients," said Kelly Hancock, chief caregiving officer at Cleveland Clinic.

    Cleveland Clinic has shifted staff to care for COVID-19 patients, and leadership meets daily to review staffing levels, Hancock said. On Wednesday, the system said it would postpone all nonessential inpatient surgeries requiring a hospital or ICU bed at all but one of its hospitals in Ohio from Dec. 7 through Jan. 4.

    Mayo Clinic has mobilized staff from other parts of the country to respond to areas in need, sending volunteers from Arizona and Florida to the hard-hit Midwest, and has brought in newly retired healthcare workers who are still licensed to assist, said Dr. Amy Williams, executive dean of the Mayo Clinic Practice.

    "We're shifting staff around the entire health system to have them be where they need to be the most to care for COVID patients. This is a key to how we've been able to manage through the Midwest," Williams said. "We do have staff to cover the gaps that are created by COVID. But the more gaps we see, the harder it will be to cover them."

    Dr. Hal Paz, CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, said the system has enough beds for COVID-19 patients and can transition the local convention center into an 1,100-bed surge facility within a few days' time.

    "The challenge will be staffing. During the first surge, not every region of the country was impacted. Many rural areas were not impacted," Paz said. "Like every one of my colleagues across the country, we're very concerned about what's ahead of us."

    As of Thursday, there were 196,227 new cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., bringing the national total to 13,822,249 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were 2,762 new deaths, increasing the country's COVID-19 death toll to 272,525 people. Health officials only expect that spread to worsen throughout the holiday season as more people travel and congregate indoors.

    "That's what give me great concern and great pause. Because we don't know what that's going to look like here in Ohio or the rest of the nation, we have to be prepared," Paz said.

    AHA's Foster said that a number of hospitals are reaching out to staffing agencies for help.

    "Part of the challenge there is there's such a demand for those additional staff, the agency staff, that the agencies are paying a lot of money to nurses willing to come and work. It makes working for an agency more attractive than working in a hospital," she said. "We're trying to strike the right balance there and not price ourselves out of the market."

    Staffing agencies are charging two to three times the normal hourly rate for workers, LeadingAge's Sauer said.

    Medical Solutions' clinicians are receiving pay packages that reflect the greater numbers of hours they are working and account for the risk staffers are taking on, said Farmer. Traveling workers, too, are relocating and starting at new facilities within two weeks, which is much faster than usual, said Amber Barna, vice president of clinical and quality services for Medical Solutions.

    Tags: Operations, This Week in Healthcare, Coronavirus, For-Profit Hospitals, Staffing, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, Wisconsin, Mayo Clinic, Midwest Region, Operations, Transformation, Transformation Hub
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    California hospitals prepare ethical protocol to prioritize lifesaving care
    California hospitals prepare ethical protocol to prioritize lifesaving care
    Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Berkshire Hathaway disband Haven
    Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Berkshire Hathaway disband Haven
    Sponsored Content
    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up for free enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today

    The weekly magazine, websites, research and databases provide a powerful and all-encompassing industry presence. We help you make informed business decisions and lead your organizations to success.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Instagram

    Stay Connected

    Join the conversation with Modern Healthcare through our social media pages

    MDHC_Logotype_white
    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • This Week's News
      • COVID-19
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition
    • Insights
      • ACA 10 Years After
      • Best Practices
      • InDepth Special Reports
      • Innovations
    • Transformation
      • Patients
      • Operations
      • Care Delivery
      • Payment
    • Data/Lists
      • Rankings/Lists
      • Interactive Databases
      • Data Points
    • Op-Ed
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Awards
      • Award Programs
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top 25 Innovators
        • Top 25 Minority Leaders
        • Top 25 Women Leaders
      • Nominate
      • Previous Award Programs
        • Excellence in Nursing Awards
        • Design Awards
        • Top 25 COOs in Healthcare
      • Other Award Programs
        • 100 Top Hospitals
        • ACHE Awards
    • Events
      • Conferences
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Healthcare Transformation Summit
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
        • Workplace of the Future Conference
        • Strategic Marketing Conference
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Minority Leaders Gala (2022)
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Webinars
      • COVID-19 Event Tracker
    • Listen
      • Podcast - Next Up
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • MORE +
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Newsletters
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing