Literature Review

Senior homes left dangerously understaffed amid assisted-living boomWashington PostDecember 17, 2023Louisville, CO—Lavender Farms, an upscale assisted-living facility in the Boulder suburbs, promised “24/7 on-site care” in its marketing materials. But managers at its operating company, Balfour Senior Living, worried deeply about their ability to care for the elderly residents who roamed the farmhouse-chic corridors at odd hours and sometimes wandered outside unnoticed, documents and interviews show. ... Failures at Balfour facilities are symptoms of deeper problems in the $34 billion market for assisted living and memory care, a growing industry that now provides care and housing for more than a million Americans, according to industry estimates.

Rural hospitals embrace ‘grow your own’ approach to staffingModern HealthcareDecember 15, 2023Always on the hunt for staff, some rural hospitals have been trying a less common recruitment setting: K-12 classrooms. The hospitals hope that by interesting local children in healthcare careers and investing in their education, the students will one day return to work as full-fledged providers. It’s a long game, but one that could help rural hospitals better compete for clinicians with urban health systems that have the budgets for higher salaries and bigger sign-on bonuses.

Creative Role Development, Organizational Culture Keys to Battling 2024’s Staffing HeadwindsHospice NewsDecember 15, 2023The worst of the staffing challenges is far from over for embattled hospice providers seeking fruitful recruitment and retention strategies in 2024. Operators will continue to reckon with clinical capacity strains next year as hospices contend with rising demand from a swelling aging population, according to Nick Westfall, CEO of VITAS Healthcare, a subsidiary of Chemed Corp. ... These taxed clinicians can find a variety of opportunities in the different interdisciplinary roles of hospice care that they might not otherwise have in hospitals or health systems, according to St. Croix CEO Heath Bartness.

More Providence St. Vincent doctors vote to unionize; hospital vows ‘good faith’ bargainingKOIN-TV (Portland, OR)December 14, 2023Portland, OR—More physicians with Providence St. Vincent Medical Center have voted to unionize. The small group of four palliative physicians is seeking to join a group of 70 Providence St. Vincent hospitalists who voted overwhelmingly to form a union with the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association back in August. The group said they’re seeking a fair contract that provides safe staffing levels, fair compensation and a healthy work environment. 

What health systems did this year to recruit, retain workersModern HealthcareDecember 13, 2023Tuition reimbursement is a top program offered this year by health systems seeking to recruit and retain employees, according to a recent survey by Aon, an insurer and consulting firm. ... Here are five areas of focus around recruitment and retention this year.

Nurses at Suburban Community and Lower Bucks Hospital authorize strike amid contract negotiation stalematePhiladelphia InquirerDecember 12, 2023Bucks County, PA—Nurses at Suburban Community Hospital and Lower Bucks Hospital sent a message to their executives: ‘Tis the season for a new contract—or a strike. The contracts affecting roughly 200 nurses at both hospitals expired Oct. 12. Last week, nurses at Suburban Community voted to authorize a strike. 

22 states to increase minimum wage on Jan. 1McKnight’s Senior LivingDecember 13, 2023Almost half of the states, along with 40 local jurisdictions, are set to ring in 2024 with increases to minimum wage, according to Polsinelli law firm. The 22 states with minimum wage increases coming in the new year: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington. 

31 positions eliminated as St. Mary’s lays off employees, cuts hours for some amid financial woesPortland (ME) Press HeraldDecember 12, 2023Lewiston, ME—St. Mary’s Healthcare System laid off at least 31 employees effective Monday, according to St. Mary’s news release. ... The decision comes as the hospital system has sustained operating losses over the last five years, according to the press release. 

Assaults on healthcare workers now carry enhanced criminal finesMcKnight’s Senior LivingDecember 12, 2023Michigan is the latest state to codify protections for healthcare workers assaulted on the job, which one senior living association said will positively impact the state’s workforce shortage problem. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) recently signed into law two bills that create enhanced criminal fines for assaults, aggravated assaults and assaults with a deadly weapon against health professionals or volunteers while on the job. ... In signing the bills, Whitmer said healthcare workers face “rising rates of bullying, viciousness and violence.” 

Workers set to strike at 4 Prime hospitalsBecker’s Hospital ReviewDecember 11, 2023Members of the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West are set to launch a five-day strike Dec. 20 affecting four Prime Healthcare facilities in Southern California. The union represents about 1,800 workers ... Union members, which include emergency room technicians, licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants, radiology technicians, medical assistants, respiratory technicians, and others, voted to authorize a strike earlier this year. 

Nurses at University Medical Center vote to unionize, a Louisiana firstTimes-Picayune (New Orleans, LA)December 10, 2023LCMC Health’s University Medical Center nurses voted to join National Nurses United, the largest U.S. union for registered nurses, after a three-day vote that ended Saturday night. The union will be Louisiana’s first among health care workers. It is also one of the state’s largest, with 598 eligible members. More than 90% of eligible nurses voted in the election. Of those who voted, 82% voted in favor of the union, according to National Nurses United. ... Officials at UMC acknowledged the union and said they would “continue to work with the National Labor Relations Board and operate consistently with the processes established by the National Labor Relations Act.” ... Next, the union will be certified by the National Labor Relations Board. Negotiations and bargaining on a contract come after that. ... The union includes registered nurses who are full-time, part-time and per diem, along with clinic nurses and nurse practitioners.

CT hospitals need nurse-to-patient ratios. Legislators should mandate themBy Kristin Henry, RNCT MirrorDecember 9, 2023As a registered nurse in Connecticut—one who graduated in 2019 shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic made its boisterous presence—I have seen firsthand the detrimental effects that inadequate staffing and unsafe nurse-to-patient ratios can have on the health of your loved ones. ... Appropriate nursing staff not only would achieve clinical and economic improvements in patient care, it would decrease nurse fatigue and burnout. ... Unsafe nurse-to-patient ratios have been statistically shown to increase patient mortality. ... Gov. Ned Lamont signed a bill into law effective October 1 of this year. Under Public Act 23-204, CT hospitals must create a dedicated staffing committee to develop nurse staffing plans. Hospitals that fail to comply can face penalties. This bill is a small step in a very long staircase. Nowhere in this bill does it mention mandating specific staffing ratios. Until nurses and patients are protected from unsafe situations by the state, the battle is not over.