Category Archives: Healthcare Industry

Healthcare Jobs Continue to Rise in 2015

It appears that both healthcare workers and their employers are gaining confidence in the industry as well as the larger economy, according to recent trends and surveys.

New healthcare jobs continue to rise in 2015 – a trend that began in the fourth quarter of 2014 when the health sector added 127,000 jobs. The fourth quarter of 2014 was the largest quarterly increase in healthcare employment since 1990 breaking a 25 year record, according to Altarum Institute’s Center for Sustainable Health Spending.

The trend from December 2014 carried forward into 2015:

  • January 2015 saw 45,000 new healthcare jobs created.
  • February and March saw significant drop off with 27,320 and 22,300 new jobs respectively.
  • But job creation rebounded nicely with 45,000 in April and another 47,000 in May.
  • For a 5-month total of 186,620 new healthcare jobs in 2015.

Healthcare Worker Confidence also on the Rise

Further, a Harris poll reported that healthcare workers have increased confidence in job availability and the strength of the American economy. The poll measured the confidence of 3,100 healthcare workers and found that:

  • Overall confidence among healthcare workers is on the rise.
  • 28% of healthcare employees agreed that there were more healthcare job openings – a 9% increase from the third quarter.
  • 56% of healthcare professionals were optimistic in finding another job if needed.
  • 30% were looking for new healthcare job opportunities while 58% were content in their current positions.
  • Job security was highest in healthcare workers in relation to other professions with 76% feeling that their jobs were secure.

As the industry settles into healthcare reform, the trends suggest that both employer and worker confidence is on the increase. The result is a sustained increase of healthcare job openings and improved job security for current employees. But still, the industry has to contend with the ongoing workforce shortage in order to capitalize on current trends. For many healthcare facilities, this means establishing or improving their recruitment and hiring strategies in conjunction with using a contingent workforce.

Healthcare workforce management software that taps into a nationwide medical professional database is ideal for recruiting top talent. The Stay Staffed Vendor Management Software combined with the nationwide Candidate Direct Marketplace of medical professionals helps hospitals organize and streamline their recruitment and hiring process. Contact us now for a free online demonstration.

SOURCES:

Date posted: October 12, 2015 in Healthcare Industry | workforce management | Healthcare job openings | Healthcare job opportunities | Healthcare workforce management software | vendor management software |

Use of Temporary Nurses a Cost-Effective Staffing Solution for Hospitals

It’s a question long in need of an answer. Is the use of temporary nurses a cost-effective staffing solution for hospitals looking for ways to optimize their human resources and ultimately, quality of care? The University of Rochester, School of Nursing, took on the question and analyzed the cost-effectiveness of agency-employed supplemental nurses in 19 adult patient-care units of a large, academic medical center.

As might be expected, the results were mixed depending on the volume of supplemental nurses needed to optimize staffing. Minimal use of temporary nurses resulted in slightly lower overall costs when compared to permanent nurse overtime costs. Moderate use of supplemental nursing resulted in slightly higher overall costs and heavy use demonstrated significantly higher costs. The final conclusion of the study is that minimal to moderate use of temporary and travel nurses, cost about the same as permanent nurses working overtime.

Researcher Linda Aiken, Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, University Pennsylvania explains, “In addition to not being cost-effective, overtime hours performed by permanent nurses may equate to poor nurse and patient satisfaction. Extensive research indicates that overtime work is connected to nurse burnout, turnover, and poor patient outcomes. The use of supplemental nurses can alleviate these risks.”

75% of Hospitals use Temporary Nurses

With more than half of U.S. hospitals using temporary and travel nurses to alleviate staff shortages, it’s important to understand their effectiveness. In addition to cost-effectiveness, a study reported in the March 2015 edition of Journal of Nursing Administration suggests that the use of temporary nurses has no impact on patient satisfaction either positive or negative. This may be due to further evidence that supplemental nurses have equivalent educational qualifications as most permanent nurses which is a contributing factor to positive patient outcomes.

As a result of these studies, the key to optimizing hospital nursing staff is to have sufficient permanent personnel to manage core patient load and to add temporary or travel nurses to shore up short-term deficits. Of course, this objective is easier to say than to put into practice. Every hospital experiences fluctuations in patient census, employee resignations, increases in patient acuity, and temporary leave of absences leaving some to ask, “How can we optimize healthcare staffing with all of these variables in play?”

One way is to implement a workforce management system that provides executive oversight into your contingent workforce. Cloud-based vendor management software provides a centralized solution to source, recruit, procure and manage contingent and direct hire needs. The StayStaffed VMS is free to use and connects hiring managers to a nationwide database of healthcare professionals and staffing agencies. Through dashboard analytics, users gain critical oversight of their healthcare staffing. Contact us today for 30 minute demonstration on how Stay Staffed Candidate Direct can optimize your healthcare staffing.

Resources:
Cost Outcomes of Supplemental Nurse Staffing in a Large Medical Center
Journal of Nursing Administration March 2015 – Patient Outcomes
75% of Hospitals use Temporary Nurses

Date posted: April 20, 2015 in contingent staffing | Healthcare Industry | Staffing News | Staffing Solution | supplemental nurses | Temporary Nurses |

Leverage Workforce Data to Optimize Healthcare Staffing

A 2014 survey by HealthLeaders Media reported that the top cost containment strategies for hospitals, physicians groups, and healthcare systems are 1) process improvements, 2) labor productivity, 3) supply chain efficiencies, 4) capacity management, and 5) staff reductions. This isn’t surprising as healthcare staffing is the largest driver of both clinical and financial success.

Process improvements were cited by 81% of healthcare executives who are looking for sustainable cost containment strategies that offer year after year reductions rather than short-term fixes such as layoffs (20% of respondents). Labor productivity increases were chosen by 67% of healthcare executives as a favored cost reduction strategy.

Strong Emphasis on Process Improvement 

The emphasis on process improvement through workforce analytics helps identify opportunities where labor can be employed more effectively. Process improvements and labor productivity gains then become part of a continuous improvement culture that is practiced daily.

The greatest challenge for staffing managers is to match labor to patient census. Staffing requirements can vary considerably day-to-day and having ready access to current workforce data via dashboards can help staffing managers to devise plans to better meet census. Visibility into workforce data is necessary for both long-term strategic planning and short-term cost management tactics.

Healthcare Staffing Optimization

To be successful and produce returns year after year, expense reduction must be sustainable. The first step is to automate workforce management processes such as time and attendance, staffing and scheduling, human resources and payroll. Through automation, managers gain a better understanding of workforce dynamics both currently and cumulatively.

According to the survey, the top workforce management initiatives for healthcare labor cost reduction include:

Monitor and reduce overtime pay - overtime can be reduced with workforce planning and scheduling software. For example, the ability to analyze incidental overtime can lead to improvements in shift change procedures.

Develop and monitor productivity metrics – choosing the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will improve workforce performance monitoring. For KPIs to be effective, they must be clearly defined and measurable across the organization.

Adopt acuity-based staffing – delves deeper into optimal healthcare staffing strategies than nurse-to-patient ratios. It seeks to base staffing on patient need by ensuring an appropriate mix of skill sets and competencies. Contingent employees are often used to shore up staff and skill gaps.

Better manage contingent staff – most healthcare organizations use a variable staffing model that changes based on patient census. It’s important to have the right tools to manage the contingent workforce for cost containment and efficiency. It also helps to have the right workforce management software for tracking documentation, posting open positions, and project costs for different staffing mix scenarios.

Reduce premium labor usage – workforce analytics enables managers to identify opportunities for cost containment or reduction such as overtime, contingent labor usage, and overstaffing.

Optimize external staffing agencies – the ongoing workforce shortage has most providers using external healthcare staffing agencies to source and recruit medical staff. It can be difficult for human resources to continually field telephone calls, emails, and instant messaging from various healthcare staffing agencies. Web-based Vendor Management Software (VMS) for the healthcare industry consolidates and centralizes external staffing agency communication. Through the software, staffing managers can communicate with hundreds of healthcare staffing agencies nationwide as well as analyze staffing metrics for continuous improvement initiatives.

Healthcare staff layoffs – only 20 percent of healthcare executives are looking at employee layoffs to reduce costs.

Healthcare workforce analytic dashboards quickly provide managers with the data needed to make staffing decisions before the cost is incurred thereby saving more money in the long term. Staffing changes can be made as new data arises giving managers the opportunity to maximize the quality of patient care at the lowest cost available. Managers spend less time gathering and verifying workforce information and more time maximizing workforce potential based on up-to-the-minute information.

It takes only 30 minutes of your time to have an online demonstration of our vendor management software designed specifically for the healthcare industry. Schedule an appointment now by calling 800-585-1710 or contact us online. Remember to ask about our free software installation!

Resources:

Date posted: November 21, 2014 in Healthcare Industry | Information Technology | vendor management systems | workforce management | healthcare staffing | healthcare staffing agencies | vendor management software | workforce management | workforce planning and scheduling software |

The Guiding Principles of Healthcare Software Selection

As healthcare reform gears up for change, hospitals are increasing their efforts to simplify and automate business processes through software applications. The problem hospital administration runs into when looking for software solutions is choosing from the thousands of applications that promise you efficiency and cost savings. Not all healthcare software solutions are developed with you in mind; they’re developed for the revenue they provide.

Not all hospital software vendors have an idea of how a hospital operates. They’ve simply identified an industry undergoing massive change and developed a software application to take advantage of an opportunity. Others are industry insiders that know in detail how hospitals operate and have developed software solutions that automate and simplify routine tasks. The key to selecting the right software is to weed out the players and find the vendor that offers real solutions.

The Guiding Principles for Selecting Hospital Software Solutions

Form a cross functional team. IT shouldn’t be the primary decision maker in choosing hospital software solutions. They may guide the process but the real decision makers should be those that will use the software day-to-day.
Create a needs assessment. Start by modeling current business processes in the areas you’re going to be using the new software application. Next, identify processes that you want the software to automate to improve efficiency. Lastly, map out the output you need from the new system in the form of reporting and analytics.
Evaluate hospital software vendors. Research and choose several potential hospital software providers that appear to meet your needs assessment. Have the chosen few demonstrate their software capabilities to determine which one(s) are closest to fulfilling the needs assessment. Create scenarios or use cases that reflect what you want the software to do and have the vendor run them through the program. Narrow your list to the top two or three vendors.
Ask for references. References provide you with the opportunity to speak with actual system users. If possible, see if there are hospitals in your area that are using the software and arrange for a site visit.
Choose the software that best fits your needs. If one vendor is clearly above the rest and meets your budget, then the choice becomes easy. If they’re close in functionality and cost, you may want to arrange a more detailed presentation with several use cases typical to your organization.
Negotiate the contract. You’ve likely already discussed pricing at this point of the process so there should be no surprises. One caveat is to watch for hidden fees. The 6 key areas of a software contract that you should focus on are:

  1. Software – pricing and performance.
  2. Hardware – do you need to upgrade or will present systems suffice.
  3. Implementation – the scope and time of software implementation.
  4. Training – details on initial training and ongoing support.
  5. System Maintenance – who’s responsible for software maintenance.
  6. Customer Support – hospitals need 24/7 support.

We live in the Digital Age where there is a software solution for nearly every business process. But not all software is created equally. At StayStaffed, we’ve developed a hospital workforce management software based on our 25 years in the healthcare staffing industry. Contact us now for a 15-minute product demonstration and learn how our vendor management solutions can streamline your hiring process by providing low-cost, high-quality talent. Or call us at 1.800.585.1710 and speak to a consultant.

Related Resources:

Date posted: October 21, 2014 in Healthcare Industry | Information Technology | recruitment process outsourcing | Staffing News | vendor management systems | workforce management | Healthcare Selection | Hospital Software Solutions | hospital software vendors | hospital workforce management software |

2014 Tech Trends that Help Streamline Healthcare Services

Each year sees an ongoing commitment to utilizing technology for healthcare professionals and patients. Bring your own device (BYOD), mobile apps, big data, telemedicine, vendor management software (VMS), and data security are some of the hot healthcare technology trends for 2014. Continuous improvement with these tech trends is critical to streamlining patient care and the flow of patient information throughout the healthcare system.

Here is what healthcare providers can look forward to as the year progresses:

Bring Your Own Device – We live in an increasingly wired world and the healthcare industry is no different. Many healthcare workers already bring their own devices to work so it makes sense for healthcare providers to capitalize on the phenomena. Using a multitude of devices within the workplace however, offers an additional burden for IT staff in the form of supporting infrastructure, security, and compliance.

Mobile Applications – Many medical apps are available to healthcare personnel as well as patients and the choices are growing rapidly. Medical professionals can quickly access electronic health records (EHR) to aid in clinical decision-making. Patients can actually use the apps to monitor their own health issues such as measuring heart rate or counting calories. Adherence apps will remind patients of their medication time through their smart phone. As health systems get more deeply involved in developing their own apps, the patient experience will improve and hospital efficiencies will increase.

Big Data – Having access to stored data allows healthcare professionals to gain important insight into accelerating patient care. Relevant medical data from Electronic Health Records (EHR) can be complemented by outside apps that capture the critical information needed to enhance efficiency. Patients can access their own information from devices at most any location. For medical professionals, tablets can be used in the consultation room and fed into the external terminals available in each department. With Electronic Health Record systems becoming more affordable, information is exchanged more easily and securely.

Telemedicine – Those that have difficulty getting to their medical facility can take advantage of inexpensive telemedicine technology. Patients can communicate with their healthcare professionals through video conferencing on mobile devices or laptops that are equipped with a webcam. Virtual care is becoming more popular with features that allow patients to self-monitor their vital signs and report their statistics without having to see a healthcare professional.

Vendor Management Software (VMS) – An ongoing workforce shortage combined with healthcare reform is making it difficult for medical providers to manage their medical staff efficiently. Vendor management software is ideal for healthcare providers looking to improve their recruitment and staffing management processes.

Data Security – The Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act (HIPAA) oversees patient confidentiality but is still a work in progress. As IT increases its role in health administration, security through encryption protects personal health information.  Advancements include secure portals for email, texts, file sharing and video-conferencing. Still, there is more work to be done to keep up with new innovations so that applications can run smoothly, securely, and without failure.

These trends will continue to advance throughout 2014 and beyond with the intention of creating a leaner healthcare experience for hospitals and patients alike.

StayStaffed’s Vendor Management System in conjunction with the Candidate Direct Marketplace ® provides a management-oversight technology solution to streamline and automate the administrative and operational processes that occur within multi-vendor staffing environments. Our secure, web-based VMS software provides a one-source solution to source, recruit, procure and manage contingent and direct hire needs for a multitude of industries — including healthcare, energy, and IT to name a few…and with the potential to save up to 15% of annual contingent staffing spend.

Date posted: April 8, 2014 in contingent staffing | Healthcare Industry | Information Technology | Staffing News | vendor management systems | workforce management | big data | Data Security | medical apps | multi-vendor staffing | Tech Trends | telemedicine | VMS |

How to Recruit for the Hottest Jobs in Healthcare

In a December 19, 2013 news release, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that job growth in the healthcare space will rise by 5.0 million jobs from 2012 to 2022. That’s nearly a third of all U.S. jobs created over the next decade. Some of the hottest healthcare professions are occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), speech language therapy (SLP) and nursing.

As demand for healthcare jobs continues to rise, healthcare facilities and their recruitment agencies may require more efficient resources for attracting, hiring, and onboarding quality professionals in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Therapy Professions in High Demand

  • Occupational Therapist (OT) jobs will see the largest increase among therapy careers. OT jobs are projected to grow by 33% or 36,400 jobs through to 2020.
  • Demand for physical therapists (PT) continues to rise due to cumulative effects of an aging Boomer demographic and the addition of patients entering the healthcare system through the Affordable Care Act. PT jobs are expected grow by 39% or 77,400 jobs to 2020.
  • Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) continues to experience strong demand in the U.S. job market with a projected growth rate of 23% or the addition of 28,800 jobs through 2020.

Home Health and Skilled Nursing Facilities Expected to Add Jobs

Nursing jobs are projected to rise by 19% over the next decade resulting in the addition of nearly 527,000 jobs nationwide. Home health agencies and skilled nursing facilities are expected to be busy recruiting home health aides and personal care assistants over the next ten years. Both professions are expected to grow by more than 48% from current employment levels. Demand for home health aides will rise by 424,200 jobs while personal care assistants will see another 581,000 added positions.

Tap into the Candidate Direct Marketplace for Healthcare

We’ve combined two effective systems that healthcare employers discover create an unbeatable recruitment and hiring tool. Our Stay Staffed Vendor Management System (VMS) synergizes perfectly with our Candidate Direct Marketplace® to create a secure web-based marketplace that provides a single source for healthcare organizations, hospitals, rehab centers, and skilled nursing facilities to source, recruit, procure and manage contingent and permanent:

  • Nursing staff
  • Occupational therapists
  • Physical therapists
  • Speech language therapists
  • Physicians
  • Other allied health professions

Contact a Stay Staffed representative now to receive a free, no-obligation online VMS demonstration and see for yourself how you can:

  • Realize annual savings from $4,000 to $15,000 per candidate through increased agency competition
  • Seamlessly source candidates from your own agencies or choose from hundreds of qualified agencies in the Candidate Direct Marketplace® national network
  • Improve the depth of the candidate pool and locate hard-to-find resources
  • Improve healthcare talent management oversight

It takes only 30 minutes to understand how the Stay Staffed vendor management system combined with the Candidate Direct Marketplace® can streamline your recruitment, hiring, and onboarding/off-boarding processes. Or phone us at 800-585-1710 and speak to directly to a Stay Staffed representative.

Date posted: January 24, 2014 in Healthcare Industry | Staffing News | workforce management | Jobs in Healthcare | Vendor Management System |

Labor Force Demographics Changing the Way Employers Manage Their Workforce

Across the country and across all industries, companies are increasingly supplementing their permanent workforce through the use of contingent workers. In fact, the BLS reports that 19 percent of all new U.S. jobs created since the end of the recession were contract workers. Further, a study by Intuit predicts that temporary or contract workers will make up more than 40% of the U.S. workforce by 2020.

And there’s good reason for these rising employment numbers:

  • Contract workers offer staffing flexibility and allow companies to better manage risk in an uncertain economy.
  • The need for mobile contingent workforces in the construction and extraction industries.
  • Cost savings by outsourcing specialized functions such as Information Technology (IT), healthcare specialties, and customer service.
  • The ability to staff special projects with the requisite professionals without hiring full-time employees.
  • Temporary workers are exempt from new healthcare law requirements.

How Organizations Can Prepare for the Increase in Temporary Workers

To effectively manage their permanent and contingent workforces, many organizations are finding VMS software solutions provide the best return-on-investment.

A Vendor Management System (VMS):

  • Automates the sourcing and recruitment function for hiring contingent and permanent staff.
  • Prequalifies candidates, secures documentation, and verifies credentials.
  • Manages employee timekeeping and payroll.
  • Automates vendor invoicing and payments for all parties.

Organizations that utilize vendor management software to manage their contingent workforce find they are able to:

  • Build deeper talent pools through centralized access to hundreds of qualified staffing agencies nationwide.
  • Create a more efficient, streamlined hiring process resulting in improved fill-rates, reduced overtime, fewer staff shortages and the ability to find specialty workers faster.
  • Improve candidate quality through a comprehensive job-to-candidate matching process.
  • Achieve 100% compliance outcomes through automated credentialing and electronic document management system.
  • Adapt quickly to changing conditions through the centralized management of permanent and contingent staffing needs.
  • Receive more favorable labor rates through increased agency competition resulting in annual savings of several thousand dollars per employee.
  • Enhance management oversight through VMS dashboard analytics and reporting, including hiring manager approval, budget cost analysis, and vendor performance/costs/risks. Plus electronic notifications to your management team with updates on important staffing decisions and alerts

Changing workforce demographics must be met with innovative and strategic staffing solutions. With over 20 years of staffing experience, Stay Staffed has provided workforce management solutions and vendor management system expertise to small, medium, and large organizations nationwide.

StayStaffed workforce management software accesses The Candidate Direct Marketplace ® offering industry an all-encompassing contingent staffing solution. Contact a StayStaffed representative today, online or at 800-585-1710, to arrange a free, no-obligation online VMS product demonstration.

Source: www.anneloehr.com/workforce-demographic-trend-temporary-and-contract-employees-growing-as-need-for-flexibility-rises/

Date posted: July 11, 2013 in Construction Industry | contingent staffing | Extraction Industry | Financial Industry | Healthcare Industry | Information Technology | Oil and Gas Industry | recruitment process outsourcing | vendor management systems | workforce management | BLS | construction industry | contingent workers | Extraction Industry | Healthcare Industry | Information Technology Industry | Labor Force | rising employment | staffing solutions | Temporary Workers | Workforce |