The Trustee Quarterly newsletter for winter 2022 is now available with the theme focusing on supporting an exhausted workforce and preventing future workforce shortages. Attracting and retaining motivated, dedicated, high-quality employees is an ongoing challenge for hospitals and health systems. While that challenge remains, the COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the critical importance of addressing employee mental health and well-being as a part of current and future workforce shortages.
Hospital and health system boards play a pivotal leadership role in ensuring their organization’s resiliency. This includes establishing a culture that prioritizes systems that strengthen both the professional and personal well-being of employees and physicians. Outlined in this edition of the Trustee Quarterly Newsletter:
What is provider burnout? According to the American Hospital Association, provider burnout is a long-term stress reaction that is defined by having at least one of the following symptoms.
- Emotional exhaustion
- Depersonalization, including cynicism and a lack of empathy.
- A low sense of personal accomplishment.
What are the impacts of provider burnout?
- A decline in quality of care
- A compounding effect on other team members.
- Financial costs to the organization.
- Negative consequences on personal health.
SDAHO’s Perspective: The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations recognizes that assisting with healthcare workforce challenges requires short-term and long-term solutions. In response to this challenge, SDAHO launched the Hometown Healthcare Heroes Campaign. This is a video storytelling tool to help with recruitment and retention for South Dakota’s healthcare facilities and communities with the greatest workforce need. The campaign is collaborating with member healthcare facilities, the staff, and community members to help promote career opportunities by also promoting the community and lifestyle where healthcare jobs are available. Interviews include information about the school system, activities, outdoor recreation, amenities, nearby towns, in addition to the housing situation and the overall workforce environment.
Dr. Mark Hagy, Orthopedic Surgeon with Avera St. Mary’s Hospital in Pierre has practiced medicine all over the world and chose to call South Dakota home in 2018. He was part of the December 2021 Hometown Healthcare Heroes video that featured Avera St. Mary’s in Pierre and the Pierre community. “People ask me all the time, why I chose South Dakota and I say, why not! It has been an absolute blessing to come here. It has reinvigorated my life. If I could bring my colleagues from where I have practiced before to talk about how they can really take care of patients and do it in a good way, I would bring them all to this setting, without a doubt. People have no idea the gift they have in the healthcare system, here in South Dakota.” Dr. Mark Hagy, Orthopedic Surgeon, Avera St. Mary’s Pierre.
Currently, South Dakota has 1,700 nursing job openings, with many positions remaining unfilled for months. Many of our state’s smaller healthcare facilities often lack recruitment resources, this campaign provides member facilities a much needed tool to help with their workforce needs. A recruitment tool they would not otherwise have the staff or time to create. The video is designed to assist healthcare facilities, but the local economies may thrive as the spouses, children, and other family members of recently hired healthcare professionals may also seek employment within their new community. To learn more visit us today: https://sdaho.org/hometown-healthcare-heroes/
