Despite the headwinds facing healthcare systems, many leaders are finding that things stay the same as much as they change.
Workforce issues have been one of the greatest challenges healthcare systems face. An 2022 study from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing found that almost 20% of registered nurses intend to leave the workforce by 2027, Maryann Alexander, PhD, RN, chief officer of nursing regulation at the NCSBN, told Becker's.
But others say despite the demands and obstacles, the strategies and goals of systems have not changed.
Anthony Aquilina, DO. Executive Vice President and Chief Physician Executive at WellSpan Health (York, Pa.): The post-pandemic environment of healthcare has changed every system, and we are no different. We have had to respond to escalating cost structures and managing cost escalation. This includes labor shortages and costs — trying to get off the premium labor bandwagon and doing things to increase our corporate minimum wage and compete with non-healthcare entities. However, all the changes have not changed our vision or our goals. We still strive to grow and be the leader in value based care in South Central Pennsylvania.
Jill Kalman, MD. Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer and Physician-in-Chief at Northwell Health (New York City): We tend to be very consistent with our strategy and our strategic pillars, and one main driver of our health system is always growth. We grow in revenue, in employees, in size, in practice, in consideration, and we try to remain consistent regardless of the headwinds.
That being said, there are a lot of headwinds. Probably the biggest headwind is the cost of running healthcare. That has really changed, and it is just harder to continue to grow in an exponential fashion. I think workforce challenges have changed since COVID and how to be a wonderful place to work even with the challenges. I think our approach to this has not changed. We really focus on the wellness of our organization so that we get the recognition that things are hard.
Kristin Wolkart, BSN, RN. Executive Vice President and Interim System Chief Operating Officer and System Chief Nursing Officer at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (Baton Rouge, La.): Over the past calendar year, we increased our focus on working together as an integrated health system to create standardized practices, policies and measures. Collaborating to tackle the challenges that exist universally across all our markets has resulted in escalated reductions in supply chain spend, decreased turnover and improved patient experience and safety measures for our entire ministry. Because of this important work, our health system is positioned for long-term success despite the difficult headwinds the healthcare industry is experiencing.
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