Facing
LORI KERSEY
Challenges Head On
West Virginia Hospitals
West Virginia hospitals have been at the forefront of fighting the battle against COVID-19 for the past three years , but the challenges they face go beyond the global pandemic .
According to the American Hospital Association , the U . S . health care system ’ s staffing shortage will likely grow to 3.2 million health care workers by 2026 . The effects of the shortage — exacerbated by the pandemic — are being felt in facilities across the country , including the Mountain State .
Mountain Health Network , a Huntington-based hospital system , struggles to fill registered nurse positions and other key roles such as respiratory therapists , radiologic technicians , housekeeping and food service workers , according to Mountain Health Network CEO Kevin Yingling .
The network , which is comprised of Cabell Huntington Hospital , St . Mary ’ s Medical Center and Hoops Family Children ’ s Hospital , is addressing the shortage by providing tuition assistance to high school students and current employees interested in furthering their careers at their respective schools of respiratory care and medical imaging and the St . Mary ’ s Center for Education .
According to Yingling , state leaders can also help hospitals address the health care worker shortage .
“ To address the challenges associated with the registered nurse labor pool , there is an opportunity for West Virginia to accelerate the pathway from education to licensure by reviewing and revising some of the educational requirements to be more in line with those of neighboring states ,” Yingling says . “ Adjusting these requirements would especially benefit hospitals located in or near border counties around the state .”
In Southern West Virginia , Raleigh General Hospital executives are addressing the health care worker shortage with a commitment to being a place where people want to come and work . A dedicated workforce is crucial to helping the hospital system achieve its goal of making the community healthier , according to Sarah Bailey , a spokeswoman for the Beckley hospital .
“ It is incredibly important for Raleigh General to strengthen the pipeline of talent at the facility in close partnership with community and higher education leaders ,” Bailey says . “ Raleigh General is committed to a coordinated approach to recruiting and retaining professionals in the region to bolster the health care workforce — and , by extension , continuing to provide high-quality care to the communities we serve .”
Likewise , Michael Grace , the chief administrative officer of West Virginia University ( WVU ) Health System , says hospitals can help their worker shortages by growing their own workforce .
“ We need to become an even better place to work and therefore improve retention and recruitment ,” Grace says . “ Along with that comes building more capacity .”
Douglass Harrison , president and CEO of WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital and Reynolds Memorial Hospital , explains one possible solution to the shortage is for hospitals to create education programs to recruit registered nurses , licensed practical nurses and medical assistants .
However , the health care workforce shortage is not the only challenge West Virginia hospitals are facing . Statewide , 80 % of the state ’ s residents are covered by either Public Employee Insurance Agency ( PEIA ), Medicaid or Medicare . Hospital executives say the reimbursement rates for PEIA need to be higher to cover the cost of care . Several health care leaders agree that ’ s the most important policy the state needs to focus on regarding health care .
Karen Bowling , vice president of government affairs for the WVU Health System , says increasing the rates to industry standards would help hospitals .
“ The state has primarily governmental payers and this recreates issues due to the low reimbursement and the high cost of staffing ,” Bowling says .
For leaders of Charleston-based Select Specialty Hospital , expanding Medicaid coverage and including post-acute services that are offered in-state would also help prevent patients from being transferred to out-of-state hospitals , according to CEO Frank Weber .
Yingling says the state Medicaid program ’ s contract with managed care organizations results in a considerable
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE