Health system lab directors have a clear top challenge, according to Penny Tisdale, laboratory administrative director of AnMed Health in Anderson, S.C.
"I would say my greatest challenge currently is staffing, for a variety of reasons," she said. There was a medical tech shortage prior to the pandemic, and many left the medical professional workforce in the past year due to layoffs, burnout or early retirement.
The need for laboratory professionals is expected to grow 7 percent in the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. There were 326,220 clinical lab technologists and technicians in the U.S. as of May 2020, the most recent data available. The median salary was $54,180, and median wage was $26.05 per hour.
Jose Tirado, division director for lab services at AdventHealth in Altamonte Springs, Fla., also said recruiting and retaining staff are the biggest issues today. Health systems are seeing high turnover rates in lab techs and phlebotomists. Some health systems are offering pay raises to current staff members and large sign-on bonuses for new recruits.
"In my 10-plus years of lab management, I haven't ever seen this much shortage for phlebotomists," said Iyda Anthony, vice president of lab services at Legacy Health in Portland, Ore.
Competing for capital and operating dollars is a second big challenge for lab directors as health systems tighten their budgets amid the pandemic. The need for a larger budget has become more apparent in the last year as new technology arises to make labs more efficient and effective.
"We continue to see the increasing demands for improved technology where costs continue to increase, while reimbursements continue to decline," said Ms. Anthony.