Literature Review

‘We did it!’: West Penn nurses celebrate their new contract Pittsburgh Union Press, Pittsburgh, PA; by Steve Mellon; 9/12/24 Before Joanne Germanos had a chance to approach a podium to make her announcement, someone in the crowd called out, “We did it!” ... What Germanos and her fellow union nurses at West Penn did was win a new contract that raises pay and addresses staffing and burnout issues that the nurses say have been pushing experienced nurses out of the profession. Ninety percent of the hospital’s union nurses voted to approve the contract Wednesday. Under the three-year deal, pay for nurses will rise an average of 24%, with some seeing increases as high as 35%. By contract’s end, all nurses will make at least $40 an hour; nurses with 20 years of experience will make at least $50 an hour. ... Pay, however, isn’t the only issue. At rallies, union nurses have called on hospital administrators to address staffing and scheduling problems that can affect patient care and cause nurse burnout. They took those concerns to the bargaining table and, on Thursday, said they were thrilled with the outcome.

One healthcare job poised for the greatest shortage Becker's Hospital Review; by Molly Gamble; 9/6/24 Nursing assistants face the greatest projected deficit over any other analyzed healthcare occupation, with a projected shortage of more than 73,000 assistants nationwide by 2028. The forecast comes from Mercer, which projects a nationwide shortage of more than 100,000 healthcare workers by 2028. The need for nursing assistants is expected to be greatest, with only 13 states expected to meet or exceed future demand. "The projected supply of nursing assistants — an occupation that constitutes 8% of the total US healthcare workforce and 40% of healthcare support occupations in 2023 — is discouraging," Mercer consultants wrote in their Aug. 29 report, "Future of the U.S. Healthcare Industry: Labor Market Projections by 2028."

A wave of change is coming for healthcare benefits — are hospitals ready? Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Jakob Emerson; 9/3/24Surveys of employers are making one thing clear: Healthcare costs are rising faster than they did before the pandemic, and those costs are being driven by inflation, the increasing use of weight loss medications, and higher overall medical expenses.  ... As financial pressures mount, many employers are exploring or expanding alternative payment and coverage models, a trend that could significantly alter hospital's revenue streams. ...  The average cost of employer-sponsored coverage is expected to jump 9% from 2024 to 2025, according to estimates from Aon published in August. Healthcare costs per employee are projected to surpass $16,000 per employee in 2025, driven by rising employment levels, inflation and rising pharmaceutical costs. In 2024, employers budgeted an average of $14,823 per employee for healthcare costs. These costs have risen by more than 20% over the past five years and by 43% over the past decade.

Majority of Mission nurses pledge support for strike vote The Biltmore Beacon, Asheville, NC; by Andrew R. Jones; 8/28/24 Nursing leaders at Asheville’s Mission Hospital said they have the pledges needed to call for a strike vote, increasing the likelihood of a significant labor action at the HCA Healthcare-owned facility if an agreement wasn’t reached this week. Local nursing representatives said that more than 800 of the approximately 1,600 registered nurses, including members of the Mission Hospital United union and non-union members, signed pledges agreeing to vote on a possible strike at the Asheville hospital, the only Level II trauma center in WNC. The vote will be held over four days, Aug. 25, 26, 28, and 29. Nurse union leaders told Asheville Watchdog that they anticipate most of the nurses covered by the union contract will authorize a strike that could last from one to three days. ... Several other unions at HCA hospitals across the nation — including those in Nevada, Florida, Texas and Kansas — are moving toward strike votes right now, nurses said. ...

What is C-level (C-suite)? TechTarget - CIO; by Rahul Awati and Mary K. Pratt; 8/27/24... In recent years, positions like chief diversity officer (CDO), chief compliance officer (CCO), chief risk officer (CRO) and chief information security officer (CISO) have also emerged as part of the C-suite. Officers who hold C-level positions are typically considered the most powerful, influential members of an organization; consequently, they set the company's strategy, make high-stakes decisions, and ensure that daily operations align with fulfilling the company's strategic goals. ... Depending on the company type, size, country of operation and industry, the C-Suite might include some or all the following positions: [Explore this article for long-standing roles and new, emerging C-suite roles: CEO, COO, CFO, CMO, CIO, CTO, CHRO, CCO, CSO, CISO, CDO, CAO, CXO, CGO, CITA, CKI, CLO, CMIO, CPO, CPIO, CPO, CRO, CSS, CSO, CTO.]

34 hospitals, health systems raising workers' pay Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 8/15/24 The following hospitals and health systems have announced or shared plans for raising workers' pay this year. This is not an exhaustive list. This webpage was last updated on Aug. 15. 

4 ways health systems combat burnout Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 8/13/24 Although burnout is down among healthcare professionals, its persistence still garners attention and solutions from systems. Physician burnout fell from 53% in 2022 to 48.2% in 2023, according to a July 2024 report by the American Medical Association. ... Here are four methods four hospitals and health systems are using to address workforce burnout.

Want to keep talent? Develop your leaders Forbes; by Roberat Matuson; 8/12/24 You're investing heavily in recruitment, yet your top talent might be slipping away. Why? Because 7 in 10 U.S. workers are ready to leave if they have a bad manager. Younger employees are leading this charge, as highlighted in LinkedIn's latest Workforce Confidence survey. With gig work on the rise and many young professionals living at home, they have the freedom to choose jobs that value them. The solution? Transform your managers into leaders worth following. ... 5 Ways to Develop Your Managers into Strong People Leaders:

Age bias declines in the workplace, but work remains McKnights Senior Living; by Lois A. Bowers; 8/12/24 Some good news, according to the results of a recent survey by the Age-Friendly Institute, is that it appears that fewer Americans aged 50 or more years believe that “age bias is a fact of life in the workplace” compared with 15 years ago, according to the institute. The organization has been conducting research involving a nationally representative sample of this age group for more than a decade, and the percentage of people answering yes about the existence of age bias at work has decreased over time, going from 96% in 2009 to 83% in 2019 to 65% in 2024. ... But the decrease doesn’t mean there isn’t work to do. “In a society that is increasingly focused on equality and inclusivity, ageism lurks in the shadows,” the institute notes.

How Olympic success can offer leadership lessons The CEO Magazine; by Craig Johns; 8/12/24 As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games wrap up, the extraordinary performances of athletes offer valuable insights into leadership. High performance in both arenas hinges on precision, focus and constant improvement – lessons that can transform leadership strategies and drive success. ... 

Medicare physician pay has plummeted since 2001. Find out why. American Medical Association - AMA; by Tanya Albert Henry; 7/17/24 Medicare physician payment—often called Medicare reimbursement—must be tied to an inflation index called the Medicare Economic Index (MEI). As part of its campaign to fix the unsustainable Medicare pay system, the AMA has outlined in a quick, easily navigable fashion why this payment fix needs to happen now. ... The AMA’s two-page explainer on the Medicare Economic Index (PDF) outlines how it incorporates these two categories reflecting the resources used in medical practices:

These are the most common jobs in each state in the US USA Today; by Sara Chernikoff; 7/22/24 The most common job in the U.S. is a three-way tie, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Home health care and personal aides, retail workers and fast food counter workers ranked at the top of the list with 3.6 million workers in each occupation. ... The desire for home health and personal care aides is on the rise as the share of the elderly U.S. population grows exponentially. This occupation is the fastest growing among most states, news outlet Stacker, reported. ... Home health care aides typically assist people living with disabilities or with chronic illness. Personal care aides are often hired to care for people in hospice care, according to BLS. Advanced degrees are not required for most home health aides, rather those employed by home health or hospice agencies may need to complete formal training or pass a standardized test.Editor's Note: Federal requirements for nursing aides in hospice care are defined in the CMS Hospice of Conditions Participation §418.76 and for home health in the CMS Home Health Conditions of Participation §484.80. Additionally, extensive state laws exist, with differences between states.

Rosewood nursing home staff demands experience pay, free coverage Times Union, Rensselaer, NY; by Jim Franco; 7/11/24 A group of Rosewood Rehabilitation and Nursing Center workers, represented by a national health care union, is demanding a new contract with higher wages for more experienced workers and a union-provided health insurance plan that would be fully paid by their employers. ... The workers, members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, say a contract with the experience pay and no-cost health care coverage would help address staff shortages at the facility. The union, which has an office in East Greenbush, cites federal Department of Health and Human Services data showing total nursing staff turnover at the facility is 61.8 percent, higher than the national average of 52 percent and the New York average of 44.7 percent.Editor's Note: The reasons identified for this staff strike are consistent with other nursing/healthcare strikes across the nation: pay, benefits, staff shortages. Additionally, this facility's nursing staff turnover of 61.8 percent likely impacts--negatively--patient safety, another key factor for recent nursing strikes.