A dwindling workforce is forcing Syracuse, N.Y.'s three hospitals to redirect patients "hundreds of miles away" to hospitals in Buffalo and Westchester County, N.Y., and Pennsylvania, NNY360 reported Oct. 2.
Seventeen percent of nurse and physician posts in upstate New York are vacant, according to the newspaper. Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse currently has 1,000 vacant positions, or 15 percent of its workforce.
As a result, hospitals in the area are struggling to find caretakers to support their patient load. Only 7 percent of Syracuse's hospital beds have been available in recent weeks, compared to a state average of 21 percent, the news outlet reported. The staffing crisis has cost the area 1 in 5 hospital beds since the pandemic's start.
Upstate University Hospital is expected to turn away a record 8,500 patients by year's end — 2,500 more than in 2021. All four hospitals in Syracuse averaged 22 hours of diversion per day.
The state of New York is attempting to rectify the issue through its budget. The state has approved $1.2 billion in healthcare worker bonuses, $3.9 billion in hospital aid and $2.5 million in student loan forgiveness for nurses who spend three years working in underserved areas, according to the news station.