HWL Insights

The Situation

Upstate New York healthcare systems were no exception to the staffing crisis felt by virtually every hospital in the country amidst the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The recent 2022 NSI National Healthcare Retention & RN Staffing Report revealed that the average hospital turnover rate was 25.9% in 2021 – a 6.4% increase over the prior year. Pre-Pandemic, many hospitals relied on traditional staffing agencies to fill their vacancies. By the summer of 2020, reliance had turned into dependence, and there seemed to be no end in sight. Particularly in the more rural areas, hospital executives were faced with the most difficult decisions they could possibly imagine- would they be able to meet the financial demand for contingent labor, with hourly bill rate increases of 100 to 200% or would they inevitably be forced to close their doors on the communities that needed them now more than ever?  

ABOUT AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER 

Located along Georgia’s border with South Carolina, Augusta University Health Medical Center (AUH) is a 520-bed tertiary hospital and ACS-verified Level I trauma center serving patients from over 13 counties across the State of Georgia. As the region’s only academic hospital, AUH conducts leading-edge clinical research and gives patients access to treatments not available elsewhere in the region.

THE SITUATION 

As the Director of Physician Recruitment at one of the largest health systems in Greater Baltimore, Devyn Kern has a lot  on her plate. The ongoing physician shortage makes her job at LifeBridge Health increasingly difficult, and the steady flow  of physician job requisitions on her desk takes every ounce of her attention. When temporary needs arise, this too falls to  Devyn and her department of two, but with no bandwidth to address the needs and no process to follow, the task is often  delegated to hiring managers, who contact any number of locum staffing agencies for assistance.  

Since the beginning of the pandemic, HWL has helped organizations across the country stay on top of cost-effective staffing needs in order to manage surges in necessary care. One particular place we managed to see great success is in Georgia.

When the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) approached AMI Health for disaster response assistance, its staffing department, which consisted of two people, knew they needed help. That's where HWL came into play.

When Houston Healthcare, an organization located in Warner Robins, GA that consists of seven different entities serving 300,000 patients annually, approached Healthcare Workforce Logistics (HWL) with a problem, we sprang into action. 

It's no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic created unforeseen challenges and has forced every industry to innovate and adapt in order to survive; and the healthcare industry is certainly not an exception. Medical facilities have altered procedures and created new policies in order to accommodate massive influxes of patients and improve patient outcomes — but it certainly hasn't been easy, and there are still some common pain points that many organizations still deal with.

Healthcare Workforce Logistics (HWL) is ecstatic to announce that Craig Hershovitz, MBA has joined the team as Vice President of Implementations and Capture Management! 

Healthcare Workforce Logistics (HWL) is ecstatic to welcome Nancy Bourg, RN, BSHCA, MBA to the team! For over 25 years, she's been a pioneer and expert in hospital staffing solutions and has extensive experience both in established and startup organizations.

We're excited to announce that Tony Gregoire recently joined the HWL team as a Data Analyst! His extensive experience in both the healthcare and staffing industries will undoubtedly prove to be an essential asset to our growing organization.

As the conference season ramps up, AAPPR 2022 is just around the corner. This year, it's being hosted in Chicago, IL and HWL will be present from April 24-26.

Next up on HWL's list of conferences is ASHHRA 2022 in Phoenix, AZ from April 25-27. 

It's that time of year again — conference season. That means we're very excited to be at the upcoming AONL 2022 conference from April 11-14 in San Antonio, TX. 

​​Approximately 70% of healthcare organizations contract with an MSP or VMS provider for the procurement and management of contract labor. Most of these programs are managed by staffing agencies eager to box out their competition, control pricing and maximize profits in each client account. 

Managed service providers (MSPs) assume the responsibility of managing multiple healthcare staffing vendors and their contracts; however, not all MSPs offer the same degree of quality, oversight, and attention to detail. Whether your healthcare organization’s staffing challenges are the result of the pandemic crisis or have a need for optimizing the utilization and cost associated with agency labor, Healthcare Workforce Logistics (HWL) programs are designed to deliver high-quality healthcare professionals at competitive market rates.

From the moment the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global health emergency to the conclusion of 2020 surpassing 20 million infections nationwide, healthcare workers have been stretched to the max. In the climate of panic and fear that characterized the early days of the pandemic, defining a workable strategy to deliver thousands of providers was anything but simple.

Healthcare Workforce Logistics (HWL) provides state, regional, and local governments a comprehensive solution to improve vaccination rates in targeted communities. Our robust technology, extensive network of staffing and supply chain partners and expertise in the deployment of community-based vaccination programs makes us the top choice for bringing care to people.

Are you paying market rates for Locums? Or are you overpaying? If you are negotiating rates with agencies individually and without the benefit of a competitive process you are most likely overpaying. The reality is that most health systems do not do a great job ensuring that they are competitive in the marketplace and not being overcharged for fees and conversions.

The introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine brought a sigh of relief to most Americans, signaling a gradual shift to normalcy. This return to normal, however, will not come easy. The vaccine alone can not solve the problem—it will take widespread vaccinations to put an end to the global pandemic. Since the onset of the pandemic, Healthcare Workforce Logistics (HWL) has doubled down on what it does best — mobilizing healthcare professionals where they’re needed most and providing creative solutions like mobile vaccination sites to the nation’s most difficult to reach communities.