(July 2024) – Ensuring a quality workforce remains a top priority for all health care leaders. This issue is critically important within the walls of a hospital, but it is also important for the communities we serve. Kansas communities must rally to support local cultures where the next generation can explore their passions and pursue careers in health care. Additionally, we need to help communities promote opportunities in health care for those seeking that second career.
Board members can significantly impact the trajectory of health care careers within their institutions. They can take steps to become health care career advocates, spreading the message of the abundant opportunities to those interested in pursuing a health care career and sharing the news with those who are unaware of the wide variety of health care opportunities.
To be an effective health care career advocate, you should first understand key facts about the workforce, understand the realities of your local hospital and be informed of activities that your hospital, and the Kansas Hospital Association, are doing to provide new opportunities for all who are considering a career in health care.
Understand the key facts. The annual KHA Health Care Workforce Report indicates statewide hospital vacancy and turnover rates remain higher than pre-pandemic levels. What does this mean for health care? Having 13 percent of all health care jobs across the state vacant means hospitals provide the same or more patient care with fewer resources. This may lead to some hospitals limiting services because of a lack of staff or even closing various services. The higher-than-normal statewide turnover rate of 19 percent means about one in five health care workers leave their jobs yearly. There are substantial financial costs in turnover and impacts on the morale and culture of hospitals. This is not just a workforce issue; it also financially impacts hospitals. Kansas also faces demographic challenges, with fewer students enrolling in post-secondary education, limiting our opportunity to solve the vacancy issues with new graduates.
Understand the realities of your hospital. While the statewide numbers provide a perspective of the macro level health care workforce, it is important for leaders to have a pulse on the micro level of their organization. Some hospitals will have much lower vacancy and turnover rates, which allows leaders to share that story with their communities to inspire the next generation of health care team members to enter their careers and potentially take their talents to your organization. For other organizations with higher vacancy or turnover rates than the statewide average, there are ample opportunities to utilize new strategies to promote staff retention and recruit new team members. It is important to understand the root causes of the challenges your hospital is facing and identify initiatives to address those challenges, including attracting new talent. This could be an ideal opportunity to collaborate with educational institutions, community organizations and local leaders to promote health careers and cultivate a pipeline of future health care professionals.
Share opportunities your hospital and KHA have to offer. Many traditional students and second-year careerists may have preconceived notions of health care that may or may not be true. Perhaps your hospital offers flexible staffing models or has certain departments with hours that accommodate schedules better than someone may assume. Or, your organization may offer employees rewarding opportunities for mentorship, career development, a positive culture, tuition reimbursement, etc. KHA has implemented tactics to increase career awareness and enhance the pipeline of new health care workforce team members. We developed career awareness tools promoted through the new HappyInHealthcare.org website. This tool is being promoted to schools, parents and the community. It is a one-stop shop for anyone to learn more about health careers, as well as Kansas schools offering health care programs, scholarships and financial aid to help students get a health care credential with little to no out-of-pocket expenses. We also have enhanced preceptor training and developed a health care apprenticeship program, which should help retain employees.
Trustees and other hospital leaders are pivotal in stimulating interest and awareness of health care careers in our communities. Think about how you encourage more Kansans to pursue a rewarding, exciting and dynamic career in the health care community, leading to better patient care and a more robust health care system. Education and career paths are often significantly impacted by a student's interaction. We hope you can be an influencer for the health care workforce in Kansas.