The pandemic has resulted in a myriad of challenges for health systems. From exhausting resources and postponing revenue-generating procedures to working conditions that have created so much stress that essential staff are quitting in droves. Now with covid vaccines readily available, the hope they might quell the storm and lighten the burden on the healthcare system is being replaced by something else— fear the vaccines could create a new crisis.
As of September 1st, at least 13 states and major cities have implemented some kind of vaccination requirement for healthcare workers. While many of these mandates include an opt-out if the employee submits to weekly testing, others impose a stricter “vaccinate or terminate” policy (for workers who do not qualify for medical or religious exemptions). Of those states, like Oregon and Washington, whose vaccine deadlines expired this month are bracing for a new level of staffing crisis.
“As a practical matter, this policy may result in exacerbating the severe workforce shortage problems that currently exist… Mandating that really works a hard step on the smaller hospitals because we don’t have an extra pool of nurses to draw from out there.”
Rick Pollack, CEO and President of the American Hospital Association
Though the number of medical staff refusing to comply with vaccination mandates is small, estimated at less than 10% by some surveys, any loss of staff is significant. The impact of vaccine mandate-related resignations reverberates through an organization compounding on the other issues that are leading to the staffing shortages; long hours, exhaustion, and mental health. Staffing problems are so extreme in certain areas that some facilities have been forced to close beds or clinic locations.
Health systems have little recourse to mitigate this problem. Hospitalizations for covid-19 are in decline but still dominating ICUs and internal resources making it difficult to resume revenue-generating treatments like elective surgeries. With high demand and low cash flow, the competition for health workers is fierce. Many organizations, like rural providers, are losing staff to high-paid traveling positions.
“Small to medium-sized hospitals generally have dozens of full-time openings, and the large health systems have hundreds of full-time openings.”
James Quick, President, SimpliFi
If your organization is one of the many across the nation struggling to generate revenue and retain staff, Professional can help. Our experienced representatives can alleviate some of the burden on staff by serving as an overflow call center, assisting with scheduling, billing, insurance follow-up, or other administrative tasks. Additionally, we provide patient-centric self-pay and collections services that can maximize cash flow from previously administered care. Contact us today to learn how we can put our resources to work for you.