A shortage of nurses at NYC Health + Hospitals is leading to more reliance on temporary nurses and higher staffing costs, New York's state comptroller said May 4.
Here are four things to know, according to the report:
1. NYC Health + Hospitals has a 15 percent nurse vacancy rate.
2. From February 2020 through September 2022, temporary staffing increased by 83 percent. This led to $125 million in unexpected costs for the system in fiscal year 2023, and those costs are expected to stay elevated in fiscal year 2024.
3. During the same period, the number of registered nurses dropped 6 percent and licensed practical nurses fell 31 percent. RN staffing levels were worse at the system than city- and statewide numbers.
4. Estimates show that contract labor costs in New York health systems and hospitals have increased by more than 110 percent compared to prepandemic levels, "with average temporary nurse salaries increasing from about $1,800 per week prepandemic to about $3,300 per week in March 2022."