The Iroquois Healthcare Association Creates Alternative to Traditional Healthcare Staffing Agencies
ALBANY, NY —The Iroquois Healthcare Association (IHA) has created Upstate Works an innovative and sustainable solution for its members to battle exorbitant rates charged by healthcare temporary staffing agencies.
“The actions that we take now are going to disrupt the face of temporary healthcare staffing in New York,” said IHA President & CEO, Gary J. Fitzgerald. “We cannot continue to sit idly by while Hospitals are made to pay a projected $1.2B to staffing agencies during a health care staffing crisis. Upstate Works will help hospitals save precious resources and ensure that all New Yorkers have access to care in Upstate.”
IHA found that there are roughly 20,000 open staff positions in hospitals across Upstate and Western New York. Because of this staff vacancy crisis hospitals have had to use staffing agencies in order to continue to ensure patient safety and essential operations in service to their communities. The unfortunate consequence of this reliance is skyrocketing costs further jeopardizing hospitals’ already fragile fiscal condition.
To help solve this problem for our members, IHA launched its own unique staffing agency, Upstate Works.
“Upstate Works gives hospitals the ability to directly source contingent (aka temporary) staff through an online marketplace,” said IHA President & CEO, Gary J. Fitzgerald. “Upstate Works allows hospitals to access contingent staffing for rates 10-20% lower than traditional agency bill rates and also gives hospitals access to proprietary market intelligence for travelling staff nationally, regionally, and locally”. “This intelligence gives hospitals the knowledge, and ability, to determine competitive compensation to attract temporary staff, while also saving money through lower bill rates,” continued Fitzgerald.
Hospitals, Health Systems and providers across the health care continuum in New York need proactive solutions to ensure that they can continue to provide safe and effective care. Upstate Works has already provided significant savings to our hospitals that have taken advantage of this unique and innovative opportunity.
About the Iroquois Healthcare Association: IHA is a regional healthcare trade organization representing more than 50 hospitals and health systems, spanning over 28,000 square miles, across 32 counties of Upstate New York. IHA is the leading resource for facilities and professionals bringing quality health care to the region. IHA represents the unique needs of rural, small community safety-net providers to large, academic medical centers in Upstate New York’s urban areas through advocacy, education and information, cost-savings initiatives and innovative business solutions.