1. There is less reliance on staffing agencies, but the need has not gone away

According to Modern Healthcare's latest Hospital Systems Survey, which polled 54 health systems, most respondents said their use of staffing agencies, both internal and external, has declined over the last year.

This sentiment also aligns with industry forecasts about staffing agencies. In an April report from Staffing Industry Analysts, healthcare's temporary staffing sector more than tripled its market size between 2019 and 2022, but is expected to shrink by 25% in 2023.

However, even though health systems are now relying on fewer travel nurses and physicians, leaders say it will likely be a few more years before their organizations will be able to use travel workers minimally, especially as the projected demand for healthcare outpaces the number of new workers likely to enter the field.

"I think staffing shortages will spike again," said Adrienne Sims, chief HR officer at IU Health. "We are going to find ourselves in another challenging place if health systems are not proactive, which is why we are trying to engage in workforce development across the state."

2. Recruiters are looking to engage in youth development programs

To engage with potential workers early on, many health system HR administrators are reaching out to middle and high school students about opportunities in the healthcare field.

For example, NorthShore Edward-Elmhurst Health has partnered with local development programs like Aspire and KidsMatter to connect with young children and adolescents.

"We have brought in interns and high-school students to try to show them the joy of medicine and get them excited and interested," said Dianna Sparacino, chief people officer at NorthShore Edward-Elmhurst. "We need to get them interested in the field in the very early stages of their education."

Mercy Health has also reached out to middle school students to talk to them about potential healthcare careers. "Many students think of healthcare professions as solely nursing and physician roles," the organization said. "We are working hard to inform young students about the many facets comprised within healthcare, such as marketing, finance, IT and human resources, and the growth opportunities that are associated with this."

3. Organizations are focused on filling high-demand roles

To fill high-demand roles, organizations are using both external partnerships and internal development programs to recruit new staff and bolster current workers' skills.

Currently, IU Health is partnering with several schools, including Ivy Tech Community College, to boost its staffing pipeline. The schools receive grant funding for three years to hire teaching faculty and offer certification courses for emergency medical technicians, certified nursing assistants, and more. Students who complete the certification courses will then be offered positions at the health system.

IU Health is also offering training programs for its existing employees. These programs will allow current employees to become medical assistants, respiratory therapists, emergency medical technicians, and other high-demand positions.

Similarly, Rush University System for Health has a medical assistant apprenticeship program. The program pays for students' tuition and books while also providing them with experience, wages, and benefits. According to Marcos DeLeon, the system's chief HR officer, the program exemplifies "just some of the thinking that healthcare is going to have to embrace" to find workers.

At NorthShore Edward-Elmhurst, staff can strengthen their skills through laboratory science and nurse residency teaching assistant programs. "We need more of an advancement structure to help staff grow from novice to expert," Sparacino said. "We know that is critical to retention."

4. Organizations use increased pay, flexible schedules to retain workers

According to Modern Healthcare, almost all of its survey respondents said their organizations had increased pay and offered more flexible schedules to improve recruitment and retention. Organizations also increased referral bonuses, with some offering bonuses of up to $10,000.

"Remote and hybrid work options and additional flexibility have been essential for retaining and recruiting staff, especially nonclinical staff by expanding our applicant pool," said Carilion Clinic.

Some organizations are also testing new care models and compensation packages to better meet workers' needs. According to IU Health, some employees are asking for more individualized benefits, such as loan repayments or signing bonuses, instead of just a pension or 401(k).

IU Health is also piloting programs that allow nurses more autonomy, automate administrative tasks, and delegate more work to lower-level staff members.

5. Telehealth may allow organizations to care for more patients

With demand for mental healthcare spiking in recent years, health systems need to find ways to expand access to care while reducing the burden on clinicians. To address this issue, some organizations are turning to virtual treatment options and team-based approaches.

For example, Cleveland Clinic has improved access to care by increasing its telehealth offerings, placing social workers in all EDs, and hiring more mental health specialists. The organization has also placed a behavioral health social worker in its primary care service areas; collaborated with guidance counselors, schools, primary care doctors, and patients; and partnered with community groups to help patients get follow-up care they need.

Many health systems also noted that telehealth has helped them expand their reach with patients.

"[Telehealth] saves the time and expense of travel or other obstacles such as lack of child care, access to transportation or physical disabilities that make travel difficult. It also allows us to provide care to underserved populations in rural areas where care is often not available," said Johns Hopkins Health System.

Other resources to help you tackle staffing shortages

For more insights on how to combat staffing shortages and more effectively recruit and retain your workers, check out these Advisory Board resources:

• 3 ways to better retain and recruit your clinical workforce
• Build a diverse and sustainable workforce pipeline
• 4 ways governments are responding to the global workforce shortage crisis, and how providers should respond
• 3 ways to stabilize your clinical workforce in a post-Roe world
• CareOregon's 3 partnerships to reduce the behavior health workforce shortage
• Recommendations for stabilizing the RN workforce
• How Allegheny Health Network's blended nursing model addresses staffing shortages

(Kacik, Modern Healthcare, 8/13)