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With hospitalizations rising, health care workers leaving industry at alarming rate
Health care workers are leaving the industry at an alarming rate in New Hampshire as they find good-paying work outside of hospitals.Hospital officials said health workers are getting burned out as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. “We certainly are seeing a pretty dramatic increase in COVID hospitalizations,” said Steve Ahnen, president of the New Hampshire Hospital Association.Ahnen said waves of health care workers are quitting, taking jobs out of the industry and leaving hospitals short-staffed.”After a year of the pandemic, it was just more than they could do,” he said. “Again, it’s why we need to do everything we can to … Read more
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PeaceHealth, unions clashing after health system places hundreds of workers on unpaid leave
Amid a surge in new COVID cases, a Pacific Northwest hospital system is at odds with its employee unions over a decision to dismiss hundreds of unvaccinated workers. PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Washington, placed roughly 800 unvaccinated workers on leave as part of a companywide vaccine mandate that went into effect Sept. 1. Statewide mandates for health care workers in Oregon and Washington won’t take effect until next month. Since PeaceHealth announced the mandate on Aug. 3, unions representing a swath of workers — from nurses to respiratory therapists to custodians — have leveled at least seven labor complaints. The … Read more
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AccentCare CEO: Home Health Industry Can’t Become the ‘Last Refuge’ for Unvaccinated Workers
After months of taking a more passive approach to COVID-19 vaccinations, home health providers are starting to turn up the heat on their workforce. On Tuesday, Sarasota, Florida-based Empath Health — a home health, hospice and home care provider that also offers palliative care and more — announced it will require COVID-19 vaccinations for all staff, volunteers and vendors. Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health has similarly said that all of its 150,000 employees across the nonprofit system, presumably including home health workers, must be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1. Contextually, these and other home-based care organizations have taken a stronger stance on … Read more
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Mental health crisis hurt by need for more workers | Local News
After finishing up her last class as an undergrad in Mankato earlier this year, Amily Smith excitedly spoke about her plans to enter the mental health workforce. The recent graduate from Minnesota State University gained experience as a recovery advocate at House of Hope in Mankato and as a medication technician at Wellcome Manor in Garden City. Both experiences solidified her interest in helping people with addictions, a co-occuring disorder for many people with mental health conditions. Post graduation, Smith began an alcohol and drug counseling internship in St. Peter. In an encouraging sign for outstate Minnesota, she said she’d … Read more
