Health facilities, especially in upstate communities, are getting creative to battle staffing shortages after many places more than doubled their labor costs since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A shortage of workers in the health care industry was on the rise before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated the long-sustained decline.
It has given rise to a recent boom in the dependency on the travel industry for health staff, with a 120% increase in listings for contract or travel nurses since January 2019, according to the American Hospital Association.
"We have to learn to pivot and to be able to be open-minded to what we can do to attract and retain talented, talented folks," said Anne English, vice president of human resources at Oneida Health.
Oneida Health, like all hospitals, is feeling the pressure with the higher labor costs, turnover and about 20,000 open positions across upstate and Western New York regions.
The strain amid multiple crises led health leaders with the Iroquois Healthcare Alliance to form Upstate Works — its own staffing agency.
The online marketplace shows health facilities wage and administrative costs separately, making it possible for them to offer prospective employees pay competitive wages with traveling rates.
Traveling staffing agencies usually charge hospitals a flat, higher rate without distinguishing between wages and company fees.
"We've never been really privy to that type of information," English said Friday.
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