Literature Review

Providence, nurses union step up war of words as new Portland-area hospital strike looms The Lund Report; by Jake Thomas; 10/31/24 Providence is accusing the state’s largest nurses union of “power flexing” after nurses at Providence St. Vincent signaled they are willing to strike in what could be another widespread work stoppage at the hospital system. The Oregon Nurses Association announced Thursday that 1,800 nurses at the hospital located in unincorporated Washington County, just west of Portland, gave union negotiators the green light to call for a strike. ... Nurses and allied health care workers at Providence’s Portland and Seaside hospitals as well as its Home Health & Hospice service went on strike in June last year. Each of the three workplaces eventually reached contracts with Providence. But the new contracts had shorter timeframes than usual because of the strikes and are set to expire on Dec. 31, 2024. All three began negotiations again with Providence management last month. 

4 Leadership strategies to motivate disengaged team members Forbes; by Julie Kratz; 10/30/24Disengagement often stems from a lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities, poor communication and ineffective leadership. When employees don’t understand how their work contributes to the organization’s goals, or when they feel undervalued or undercompensated, they are more likely to disengage. When a culture doesn’t prioritize respect, trust and inclusion, it can lead to feelings of isolation or alienation. Disengagement can also be exacerbated by leaders who fail to commit to decisions or who don’t model the behaviors they expect from their teams. To motivate disengaged team members, consider these strategies: ...

Walgreens layoffs hit 256 workers in another round of cuts Modern Healthcare; by Katherine Davis; 10/29/24 Walgreens Boots Alliance is laying off more employees in another round of corporate personnel cuts. The struggling pharmacy chain is laying off 256 employees, or 3.6%, of its support center team employees and cutting about 215 open and unfilled roles, Walgreens spokesman Fraser Engerman confirmed Tuesday in a statement to Crain’s. Engerman said the cuts reflect Deerfield-based Walgreens’ efforts to turn around the business and its recent decision to focus on its core retail pharmacy business. ... This latest round of layoffs follows a fiscal year full of billion-dollar losses, store closure announcements and cost-cutting initiatives.

Millennials are reporting a mysterious wave of memory problems. What’s going on? Globe Magazine, Boston, MA; by Felice J. Freyer; 10/21/24 ... Memory lapses are expected as we age, but there’s evidence that many younger people — in the prime of life, ages 20 to 50 — are losing their grip on thoughts, struggling to retain new information and retrieve old knowledge. Experts blame the way we live and the world we live in, abuzz with distracting technologies amid endless demands on our time and minds. Dr. Andrew E. Budson, a Boston University neurologist who specializes in memory disorders in older adults, runs into younger people whenever he gives a talk. Inevitably, someone in their 30s or 40s will approach him afterward with: My memory is terrible. . . . I know I’m young, but I’m concerned I’m getting Alzheimer’s disease. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

How quality, compliance, technology factor into hospice recruitment Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 10/17/24 Quality, compliance and technology investments are becoming increasingly crucial when it comes to hospices’ recruitment and retention strategies as they seek to gain an advantage in the health care labor market. Finding and keeping quality employees who are able to keep up with the fast pace of today’s hospice compliance landscape has become a challenging feat, according to SilverStone Health CEO Alfonso Montiel. The Dallas, Texas-based health system provides palliative, home health and hospice, among other services. ... More than half of hospices nationwide underwent multiple audits simultaneously during 2023, according to survey findings from LeadingAge, the National Alliance for Care at Home and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI). ...

Hospices seek creative hiring, retention solutions as labor costs rise Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 10/11/24 Fierce competition for clinical resources amid widespread workforce shortages has hospices taking nimble approaches to their recruitment strategies, including pivoting financial investments and building stronger educational partnerships. Competition in the health care market has been driving up salaries, particularly among nurses, according to Jennifer Lemere, vice president of clinical operations at St. Croix Hospice, a portfolio company of the private equity firm H.I.G. Capital. But rising compensation trends are also occurring across the interdisciplinary spectrum, Lemere added. ...

Ellen McGirt on supporting caregivers at work Great Place to Work; by Roula Amire with Ellen McGirt; 10/8/24 This episode of Better features journalist, speaker, and podcast host Ellen McGirt. In this deeply personal conversation, we dive into the challenges of caregiving while balancing a career.  ...On how managers can better support caregivers at work: Flexible time off, no questions asked. A flexible schedule can change everything for people. ...On the impact a senior leader can have by talking about caregiving and grief: If a very senior person triggers this conversation in the workplace with a disclosure or concern, you're going to see new training, new conversations, new talking points, and new volunteers, and maybe even new staff positions around this. ...On how colleagues can support coworkers who are caretakers, or members of the sandwich generation: Kindness and compassion go a long way. ...

EEOC sues AccentCare Home Health Care company for pay discrimination and retaliation U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Press Release; 9/27/24 AccentCare, a nationwide home health care service company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, violated federal civil rights laws by paying female employees less than a male colleague because of their sex and retaliating against a female employee who repeatedly complained, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today. According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, female Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) working out of AccentCare’s Pottsville, Pennsylvania, location were paid less than their male colleague for performing equal work, despite their superior qualifications. After a female LPN repeatedly complained about the gender-based pay disparity and requested a raise, AccentCare retaliated against her, and ultimately fired her. Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which prohibits pay discrimination based on sex and retaliation for opposing sex discrimination.

Most annoying office behaviors HR Daily Advisor; by Lin Grensing-Pophal; 9/25/24 ... Identifying Behaviors That Annoy: A great first step in combating annoyed employees is to understand what behaviors and actions set those employees off in the first place. A recent survey by Kickresume reveals the most annoying colleague behaviors. The findings showed that 85% of people have dealt with an annoying coworker, with 58% saying these behaviors significantly affect their productivity. Here is the list of the top 15 [with % of employees who find these behaviors annoying]: Credit stealer, 33%. Micromanager, 32%. Chronic complainer, 30%. Personal space intruder, 30%. Lunch thief, 27%. Non-stop chatter, 27%. Loud talker, 26%. Know-it-all, 24%. Procrastinator, 21%. Underperformer, 21%. Email spammer, 20%. Sick but shows up to work, 17%. Ignore-my-headphones talker, 17%. Corporate over-optimist, 16%. Tech illiterate, 15%. Late arriver, 15%.

Clearing a path for diverse leadership Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 9/20/24 Creating a diverse nurse workforce and leadership team takes intentionality. "Diversity doesn't happen by itself. It takes effort, thought and planning," Jesus Cepero, PhD, RN, chief nursing officer, senior vice president patient care services at Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford Medicine Children's Health, told Becker's. Dr. Cepero first joined Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford four years ago and said part of what made him comfortable joining was seeing the diverse team of executives already at the hospital. "Since then, our diversity at the executive level has grown," he said. "This shift has transformed our culture, promoting a sense of safety and belonging, which is key to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce." Now, he oversees 3,500 employees and one of his priorities is to further diversity work at the system. Here are his three guidelines for building a more diverse workforce and leadership team:

Pay cuts, layoffs hit the C-suite Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Alan Condon; 9/25/24 Health systems are increasingly trimming executive positions and pay to stabilize their financial footing amid rising operational costs, workforce shortages and inflationary pressures. Springfield, Mass.-based Baystate Health will see three top leaders depart, effective Oct. 23, including Chief Quality Officer Doug Salvador, MD, Chief Information and Digital Officer Kevin Conway and Chief Human Resources Officer Kristin Morales-Lemieux. ... Similarly, Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan has cut 20% of its executive roles as part of a broader restructuring effort aimed at reducing overhead costs and directing more resources to patient care. The restructuring has led to the departure of key figures, including Crista Durand, who served as president of Newport (R.I.) Hospital since 2014. ... Corvallis, Ore.-based Samaritan Health Services recently laid off 1% of its workforce and temporarily reduced executive pay to counteract financial losses. ... For hospital executives across the country, these cuts serve as a stark reminder that restructuring may be inevitable to maintain operational viability. As the healthcare landscape evolves, systems will continue to seek ways to reduce overhead, streamline decision-making, and focus on financial sustainability.

Why hospital-at-home, other providers are pressing worker safety Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 9/24/24 At-home care providers are testing strategies to better protect workers who are raising the alarm on workplace safety. A new survey of more than 400 home healthcare workers found more than half said they experienced or witnessed at least one act of violence or harassment in the workplace, according to Transcend Strategy Group, which conducted the poll on behalf of home care providers. The report, which echoes similar findings from a National Nurses United survey, comes as hospital-at-home programs expand and more care moves to where patients live. ... Home-based care providers are trying to address the issue because concerns about personal safety could make it harder to recruit and retain workers in a competitive job market. The concerns are also coming up in contract negotiations between unions and providers.