Key Considerations for Developing a Staffing Strategy
In the latest episode of the American Hospital Association’s podcast, “AHA Associates: Bringing Value,” Kathy Kohnke, Senior VP of Client Services at Ingenovis Health, offers her seasoned perspective on developing effective healthcare staffing strategies. Her insights, steeped in experience, provide invaluable guidance for hospitals and health systems navigating the complexities of today’s healthcare staffing landscape. This aligns with HealthCare Support’s dedication to innovative and strategic staffing solutions, making Kathy’s expertise particularly relevant and insightful for our clients.
Kathy began by discussing the new challenges hospitals face, emphasizing how these factors necessitate a strategic approach to staffing. “We are in a whole new way of looking at healthcare,” she stated, highlighting the impact of higher labor and supply costs, an aging and increasingly complex patient population and the lingering effects of COVID-19. This backdrop sets the stage for why a data-driven and planned approach is vital.
Strategic Staffing and the Role of Data:
Data is the linchpin of effective healthcare staffing, a point Kathy emphasized by discussing the importance of balancing full-time and part-time staff. “It starts out with the methodology of what you want your full-time, your part-time percentage of FTE to be,” Kathy explained. Her approach mirrors HealthCare Support’s strategy of analyzing historical data and census trends to customize staffing solutions that respond to the unique demands of each healthcare facility.
Planning for the Inevitable: Seasonal Trends and Census Variability:
The importance of proactive planning in staffing is a key theme in Kathy’s discussion. She speaks to the need for hospitals to be prepared for seasonal fluctuations and census variability. “Hospitals are trying to establish what their percentage of full-time versus their part-time ratio in FTE employees should be,” she remarks, advocating for readiness and strategic foresight.
Mitigating Staff Burnout through Effective Scheduling:
Addressing the critical issue of staff burnout, Kathy stressed the importance of balanced scheduling. “Looking at the quality of the schedules is one of the things we look at,” she said. HealthCare Support echoes this sentiment, implementing scheduling strategies that balance workloads and reduce burnout, thus contributing to high-quality patient care and staff satisfaction.
The Benefit of Strategic Planning in Staffing:
Kathy concluded with the benefits of strategic planning in staffing, a principle that HealthCare Support actively embodies. By aligning staffing strategies with patient influx trends, hospitals can enhance patient care and manage resources effectively. At HealthCare Support, we integrate these practices into our solutions, ensuring our clients receive support that not only meets but anticipates their needs.
HealthCare Support’s commitment to providing top-tier staffing solutions resonates with Kathy’s message. As she aptly put it, “Hope is not a strategy.” This mantra is at the core of our mission as we work tirelessly to provide proactive, data-driven staffing solutions that transform healthcare staffing for the better.
We invite you to listen to the full podcast for an in-depth understanding of these insights and join the conversation using #HealthcareStaffingEvolution. For solutions that align with these industry-leading practices, contact HealthCare Support. Together, we can transcend traditional approaches and pave the way for a more strategic and efficient future in healthcare staffing.