With the current workforce crisis, 96% of nursing homes are experiencing staffing and hiring challenges.
As skilled nursing industry leaders push for new initiatives and launch resources to address the crushing labor shortage, Phil Fogg, President and CEO of Oregon-based Marquis Companies and Consonus Healthcare, said his company has had difficulty fulfilling the largest number of job openings it has ever experienced in 33 years of business.
More than half of nursing home providers say they are having to turn away prospective residents, and more than two-thirds are concerned their facility may have to close due to persistent workforce challenges, according to AHCA research.
The workforce crisis is contributing to the financial instability for the chronically underfunded sector, as more than half (55% ) of nursing home providers say they are operating at a loss and may not be able to continue operating for more than a year at the current pace (52%).
Public policy changes must be part of the solution, Fogg argued. He said the industry needs the support of state and federal policymakers to increase the number of workforce visas that come in every year.
Fogg advocates for building the educational system at the high school level so as to provide for an improved pipeline for nursing staff. He also suggests fast tracking licensing for health care jobs.