Surgeons' co-pilots are in shortage.
Surgical technologists have a keen attention to detail. Responsible for preparing operating rooms, strategically arranging equipment and assisting during procedures, surgeries — which account for at least half of many hospitals' revenue — could not run safely without them.
On average, about 8,600 job openings are projected each year across the next decade for surgical technologists and assistants, according to estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Data from surveys and reports that demonstrate the extent to which health systems' surgical operations are affected by the scarcity of surgical techs are hard to come by, but the topic arises often in conversations with executives.
At Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine, the surgical tech shortage is on par with the nursing shortage, Kevin Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, recently told Becker's. So far this year, there have been open positions for more than 25 out of approximately 240 surgical tech roles across the system.
Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health is also grappling with the shortage.
"We went from about six or seven orthopedic specific scrub techs to three," Blake Miller, DO, orthopedic trauma surgeon Trinity Health, told ABC affiliate WZZM in a report from May 2023. "Now we have four. It significantly impacts the ability to do our work."
By and large, there is a lack of awareness about the profession relative to other career paths in healthcare, which is one such factor contributing to the shortage, those in the industry say. Additionally, there has been a decrease in the number of accredited surgical technology programs in recent years, according to the Association of Surgical Technologists. In recent years, there were around 430 accredited programs, down from more than 500 several years earlier.
"Not surprisingly, the decrease in the number of programs has resulted in fewer graduates taking the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting Certified Technologist certifying examination," Kevin Craycraft wrote to members during his time as president of the AST (July 2021 to March 2023).
Training, advancement, bonuses
More than one-fourth of inpatient stays in the U.S. involve at least one operating room procedure, according to data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Whether inpatient or outpatient, demand for surgical services is poised to increase as the nation's population ages, and health systems are getting creative to entice more people to enter the profession and retain them once they join their respective organizations.
Penn Medicine is piloting a surgical technologist trainee program in which the system will hire participants as employees and pay for them to get certified in exchange for a work commitment. Three cohorts have been outlined, with the first slated to begin May 19. Twelve enrollees were selected out of more than 500 internal applicants, a spokesperson for the health system told Becker's.
After the pilot period, the system anticipates expanding the program to include more than 12 spots and to design similar programs to train certified medical assistants and nursing assistants.
Over the years, healthcare has leaned more into earn-to-learn style educational programs to attract people to the field. Mr. Mahoney said the models are critical in addressing staffing shortages across the industry and mark a shift away from long-held norms in healthcare in which individuals are on their own to navigate the path to certification for technical roles.
"It's a little backwards, so we think this earn-to-learn is proving to be a big success, and I think it will continue to be a big success as we move forward," Mr. Mahoney said.
On job listings for surgical techs, Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Corewell Health is offering up to $10,000 in sign-on incentives.
Trinity Health has an apprenticeship program funded by both the health system and other community sources so graduates complete it with no student debt. Career development is another key area of focus as health systems look to strengthen the surgical tech pipeline.
"We are investing in our current surgical technicians growth and development by offering a career ladder at some of our sites for ongoing professional advancement, ultimately leading to retention," a spokesperson for Trinity Health previously told WZZM. "Cross-training is another strategy we are implementing to address some of the shortfalls of the pipeline. We are retooling for the future as we anticipate the shortage will be here for many years."