Literature Review

Soul doctors: How Minnesota chaplains' roles are changingMPR News, by Angela Davis and Maja Beckstrom; 1/24/24Chaplains often show up on the worst days of people’s lives. They arrive in a hospital room after a distressing diagnosis. They accompany police to help inform someone of a loved one’s death. One in four Americans have been visited by a chaplain, usually at a hospital or hospice, ... But the role of spiritual caregiver is evolving as society becomes both less religious and more religiously diverse.Editor's Note: Click here for the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Inc., Palliative Care & Hospice Certification

46% of C-Suite execs prioritizing cost reduction, survey saysBecker's Hospital CFO Report, by Madeline Ashley; 1/23/24"The New Healthcare C-Suite Agenda: 2024-2025" report surveyed more than 100 C-suite executives and focused on topics like digital tools, EMR optimization, patient publication, operations, and more. Of the respondents, 29% held a CEO title, 13% chief medical officer, 10% CFO, 10% CIO, 10% COO, 7% chief nursing officer, 6% chief quality officer, 3% chief strategy officer, and 2% chief digital innovation officer. ... For top strategic initiatives for executives, 57% said growing revenue, 55% said staff recruitment and retention, and 46% said reducing cost. 

‘You can complain about it, or lean in’: Top home health leaders brace for 2024Home Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 1/19/24With the start of a new year, home health leaders are looking ahead, and identifying their top priorities. Some of these areas of focus will directly address last year’s challenges, and some are proactive measures that will place them ahead. At Bayada Home Health Care, these priorities include focusing on the employee experience, as well as clinical model evolution.

Home-based leaders are focusing on culture, creative benefits to mitigate staffing challengesHome Healthcare News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 1/16/24One of Accurate Home Care’s biggest strategies for combating the nursing shortage is positioning the company as the employer of choice and focusing on culture. ... “We have to focus heavily on culture, and we have to focus heavily on purpose, and try to attract those who have a heart for home care, and the money is secondary to them,” [Bill] English said [president and CEO of Accurate Home Care]. “Those are the nurses that we went after. Today, we were voted as one of the top 200 workplaces in Minnesota by the Star Tribune.”

Rural nursing homes' livelihood may depend on non-existent staffMcKnights Long-Term Care News, by Kimberly Marselas; 1/15/24... Rural skilled nursing providers have been among the most deeply affected by pandemic-era losses, a fact acknowledged by a provision in the mandate that gives them two extra years to hire needed staff. ... Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association, has called staffing “the metric that will matter most” for rural healthcare over the next five to 10 years.

Danger on the job: Workers suffer the most injuries in these 25 jobsNewsCenter1, by Colleen Kilday; 1/9/24Editor's Note: For HR leaders, 12 of the 25 are from healthcare jobs. How does this data compare with your employees' job-related injuries and illnesses?

CDC map shows dramatic increase in illness nationwide: See where it’s worstNexstar Media Wire News / The Hill, by Alix Martichoux; 1/5/24What a difference a week can make. New data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday shows an 18% jump in people testing positive for influenza last week. The number of people going to the doctor with symptoms of respiratory illness — whether it be the flu, COVID, RSV, or none of the above — also continues to trend upward. Now, according to the CDC, 21 states and New York City are experiencing “very high” levels of sickness.

A not-so-silent battle: Tackling nurse burnout with innovative solutionsElectronic Health Reporter, by Brandy Sparkman-Beierle; 1/2/24... "The intersection of rising patient volumes and staffing challenges has led to a significant drop in nursing satisfaction rates. This overextension puts healthcare professionals at risk of burnout, impacting their physical and mental well-being." Brandy Sparkman-Beierle, chief clinical officer for Homecare Homebase identifies these needs:

Labor activity in long-term care may be poised for ‘enormous’ growth in 2024McKnight’s Long Term Care NewsDecember 21, 2023Heightened union activity frequently made headlines this year, including among healthcare workers who loudly raised concerns about pay and staffing. Multiple factors make it likely that the trend of rising labor activity in long-term care will continue in 2024, experts say. 

OSHA, NAHCA alliance aims to protect CNAs from safety and health hazardsMcKnight’s Senior LivingDecember 21, 2023A new alliance between the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Association of Health Care Assistants aims to help protect certified nursing assistants in Missouri from exposure to safety and health hazards. The agreement, signed by OSHA’s regional office and NAHCA last month, provides the framework for a new alliance. 

Healthcare organizations hiring, retaining more employees—FitchModern HealthcareDecember 20, 2023Hospital employment numbers have increased, while healthcare job openings are on the decline—though the industry is still recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. About 17.2 million individuals were on the payroll at healthcare organizations in November 2023, compared with 16.6 million in December 2022, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

San Diego County’s first class of physician assistants graduates, seen as key to easing staffing shortagesSan Diego Union-TribuneDecember 18, 2023... Point Loma Nazarene University minted its first 28 physician assistants Friday, injecting a fresh set of trained troops into an ongoing battle to keep up with the increased demands for health care caused by an aging population and an exodus of burnt-out medical providers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first graduating class of the university’s new physician assistant program and the first crop of locally trained PAs for any institution in San Diego County.