One of the biggest takeaways from PBN’s recent Fall Health Care Summit is that providers are still struggling to deal with a shortage of workers.
The leaders of the state’s two largest health care systems both said hiring is improving but still lags pre-pandemic levels.
Lifespan Corp. CEO and President John Fernandez said improving patients’ access to care is one of his top priorities, but measuring the quality of care is difficult if there aren’t enough doctors to meet demand.
Care New England Health System CEO and President Dr. Michael Wagner said he’s focused on preventing staff burnout, which became a major issue during the pandemic.
In addition to having enough people to cover shifts, he’s also focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion issues.
He says prioritizing DEI issues helps workers feel more comfortable in the workplace and more willing to stay. The latter also allows the health system to recruit new workers, since local hospitals are competing not just with each other for new talent but with several nearby health care systems outside of Rhode Island.