Acute Care Colleagues
As I considered what to share this month, I reviewed my communications with you from last year. In all honesty, it was somewhat emotional. I recalled the feeling of being completely overwhelmed with our 2020 surge preparation. There were so many unknowns and widespread misinformation swirling around. It’s such an achievement we managed through it, cared for our communities, and learned many best practices along the way!
The outlook is very different at this time. We know so much more about COVID. We have vaccinations and multiple treatment options. We have supplies and equipment. What is different this time around is that we are going through this surge exhausted–emotionally and physically. Medical staff and those that support them have been running the marathon for a very long time (can we call it an Ultra yet?). We have seen colleagues retire, take positions outside of acute care, or leave the health care field altogether. With the increased stress of the pandemic, sadly, suicide has also claimed a health care colleague.
Please know I and fellow leaders hear your concerns. We have been working on strategies to address staffing levels. While staffing challenges are a complicated (and a nationwide) problem, we are optimistic the initial interventions of notable signing bonuses and referral bonuses for several, specific roles will make a significant difference for the frontline.
The good news is we are seeing a positive impact from the measures. We have seen increased activity on our recruitment site and are interviewing candidates at a rapid pace. Hiring new team members has already begun! We are early-on with these efforts and I am very confident we will continue to expand our staff across the system. In the meantime, new escalated crisis-pay model (Extra Shift Sign Up (ESSU)) has already had a dramatic impact on shift coverage.
Saying “thank you” seems so inadequate in recognizing all that you do to assure our communities have the care they need. Know we will work through this surge and ultimately come out stronger on the other side. We continue to capture new learnings from this round of surge mitigation that will make us even more effective and efficient for the future.
Please continue to support each other. Realize the impact of taking a few moments to acknowledge a physician colleague, APC, nurse or support staff. Not because that’s what we are supposed to do; but because that is what we must do to strengthen our team and move forward. Caregivers have been, and will continue to be, pushed like never before. Let’s remember our individual reasons we were called to health care initially and embrace that purpose. Know our communities (and colleagues) value the care we provide to our friends, families and neighbors. Remember there are resources for support, should you need them. We will succeed, by pulling together. We are much more powerful and successful as a team than individuals.
With appreciation,
Michael Hooker, DO
VP and Chief Medical Officer Acute Care