Investing in our teams’ well-being has never been more important. The entire healthcare industry continues to be challenged by serious staffing issues, and Hackensack Meridian Health is no exception. Consider that one in five U.S. healthcare workers have left the profession during the pandemic.
Last year, the American Hospital Association called the workforce shortage hospitals were experiencing a “national emergency.” The AHA projected the overall shortage of nurses to reach 1.1 million by the end of last year.
Hackensack Meridian Health is deeply committed to retaining our highly skilled and dedicated workforce and recruiting the best candidates. A proactive, robust and comprehensive strategy was launched even before the pandemic to support team member wellness and retention.
We started by hiring a chief wellness officer in January 2020 to help address staff well-being, including physician burnout. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. doctors are experiencing at least one symptom of burnout, a much higher rate than before the pandemic, according to a recent study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, a peer-reviewed journal.
We have also created on-location “safe spaces” so clinical teams can de-stress with professionals from mental health teams. We have treated 1,500 staff in the last two years from across the health system. In addition, we have expanded our team member assistance program to include a 24/7 hotline.
There’s another major initiative: We launched a Committed Coach Philosophy/COACH model that focuses on the importance and impact of leader attention. In 2022 we defined attention as Standard Work That Works. Our teams meet for huddles at an agreed time. Everyone has a chance at recognition, and we involve team members in decision making. These efforts are improving team member engagement, as evidenced in recent surveys of the workforce.
The network is also piloting a holistic nurse rounding team. So far, 125 nurses at Hackensack Meridian trained at The Birchtree Academy. The program aims to address issues of team members not wanting to access services outside of work. So nurses appear on the floors in scheduled sessions to instruct team members on mindfulness exercises and meditation, for example.
We must continue to invest in our team members’ well-being and, as leaders, destigmatize mental health issues. Caregivers are not accustomed to asking for help. In the middle of the pandemic, we launched “Even Heroes Need to Recharge,” a campaign that encouraged our teams to take a break. We don’t want our clinical teams not seeking help because they are worried about how it could impact their careers. It’s important to create a culture where people feel OK asking for help or just taking a break.
Robert Garrett, FACHE, is CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health, Edison N.J
Untangling Healthcare's Workforce Challenges
Health system CEOs are preparing for the long haul when it comes to addressing workforce challenges. Labor shortages and staff burnout are not abating as COVID-19’s impact lessens. Hospitals still report high numbers of open positions—not only in nursing and other clinical positions but across the spectrum, from food service to imaging.