22% of US hospitals anticipate a staffing shortage, HHS data shows

The resurgence of COVID-19 is putting stress on staffing at hospitals across the U.S., with nearly a quarter of facilities anticipating a shortage, according to HHS data obtained by The Atlantic.

Three staffing takeaways from the data, as reported by The Atlantic

  • Nineteen percent of U.S. hospitals (958) faced a staffing shortage from Nov. 4 to Nov. 11. 
  • Twenty-two percent of U.S. hospitals (1,109) reported this week that they anticipate a staffing shortage. 
  • More than 35 percent of hospitals in eight states — Arkansas, Missouri, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin — expect a staffing shortage this week.

With staffing shortages exacerbated due to the COVID-19 resurgence, hospitals have taken various steps to address the issue. For instance, Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare is hiring about 200 traveling nurses, and North Dakota is allowing COVID-19-positive healthcare workers who are asymptomatic to continue working in COVID-19 hospital units and nursing homes.

Read the full article here.

 

More articles on workforce:
Biden coronavirus task force member creates fund for healthcare worker families stricken by COVID-19
How hospitals can boost employee morale this winter
VA clinicians can practice across state lines, interim rule affirms 

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