Got open positions to fill in your Atlanta medical practice?
Yes? Then, you’re probably already experiencing some of the staffing challenges in healthcare this year.
No? Great. But you’ll most likely experience staffing challenges too. You may lose one or two staff to the great resignation and then start facing the challenges of filling an open position.
With the increasing demand in the industry due to emerging diseases like COVID-19, the healthcare industry needs more medical personnel to provide healthcare services.
In fact, an ECRI report estimated that 24% of US hospitals were critically understaffed as of January 2022.
Unfortunately, there are several challenges in recruiting medical personnel, including medical office and clinical staff, schedulers and administrative assistants.
In this post, we explore the staffing challenges in healthcare for 2023 and proffer solutions to help keep your medical office adequately staff
Top 5 Healthcare Staffing Challenges (+ Solutions To Overcome Them)
From Buckhead to Midtown Atlanta, medical practices are facing these healthcare staffing challenges.
Staffing Challenge #1 – Workers’ Shortage
With the increasing demands on the healthcare system and baby boomers retiring, there’s not enough staff to care for patients. Moreover, there’s not enough talent entering the healthcare industry to replace them – tech jobs are all the rage right now.
Solutions
- Recruit retiring experts to work part-time in a contract role or as consultants.
- Provide professional development opportunities to train staff to fill higher positions.
- Partner with schools to create internship and training programs to attract fresh talents
Staffing Challenge #2 – Talent recruitment
The shortage of healthcare workers means competition for available talent. Medical offices are scrambling to recruit the best candidates before bigger health facilities snag them. Hence, recruiting the right candidate to fill an open position is challenging.
Solutions
- Streamline your hiring process to attract and hire the best candidate fast.
- Offer extra benefits beyond a competitive salary, such as WFH opportunities.
- Explore new ways to recruit talent, such as social media like LinkedIn
Staffing Challenge #3 – Staff Retention
Post-COVID, stressed and burnt-out healthcare workers are re-evaluating their priorities. Some are leaving the industry entirely, while others are seeking better opportunities in the industry. Thus, making staff retention a major staffing challenge.
Solutions
- Offer more benefits like hybrid work, more PTO, and advancement opportunities.
- Establish policies that help staff achieve work-life balance, such as fewer shift hours.
- Negotiate new ways to work with experts who want to retire or resign, such as part-time work.
Staffing Challenge #4 – Work Culture
The healthcare industry is a high-pressure work environment with long hours. And with the shortage of workers, staff are overworked and overburdened. This leads to burnout and dissatisfaction, eventually resulting in staff resignation.
Solutions
- Prioritize a positive and supportive work environment to improve job satisfaction.
- Implement policies that help reduce burnout, such as fewer hours per shift.
- Provide fitness and mental health support services to help staff cope with stress
Staffing Challenge #5 – Diverse Team
The benefits of a diverse healthcare team can help improve patient care. However, having a diverse team can be challenging. There are not enough medical personnel from underrepresented communities. Also, staff may feel excluded and leave.
Solutions
- Train staff on cultural competency and implicit bias to foster an inclusive atmosphere.
- Include a genuine diversity statement in your job vacancy description that’s not generic.
- Connect with people who work with underrepresented communities to actively seek out diverse candidates.
Need help overcoming staffing challenges in your Atlanta medical practice?
We provide exceptional clinical and medical office staffing services to help medical practices overcome staffing challenges. Contact us at RG Staffing today.
