Emporia, Kan.-based Newman Regional Health has significantly improved its staffing and is looking to go agency-free by late summer or early spring in an attempt to continue improving local patient experience.
In 2021 and 2022, the hospital was at 40% agency for its registered nurses. That number is now below 5% with plans to hire more employees to get to an agency-free status, Steven Bazan, executive director of strategy and development for Newman Regional Health, told Becker's.
From strong relationships with Emporia-based Flint Hills Technical College and Emporia State University for recruitment purposes to starting a nursing residency program a year and a half ago, the hospital has been able to drastically change its nursing turnover rate.
"It's establishing recruitment pathways with our local people and then when they're here, developing programs to sustain their interest, but also our leadership, our directors' leadership, just really being attentive to the generational needs of the workforce," Mr. Bazan said.
The hospital has also heavily invested in a culture of safety and quality leadership, with directors from 40 departments across the hospital having been through cultural emphasis training that teaches them how to establish a well functioning healthcare team.
While labor agencies are important in ensuring patient care can be properly provided, having a local connection with your care provider can go a long way.
"What our citizens, our residents like about it is they know the nurses in our hospital," Mr. Bazan said. "They know the people. To foster that, of course we have to keep them there."