By Mary Ann Sullivan, MA, CCMP, Healthcare Strategy Consultant
In today’s healthcare operations environment, health systems are challenged to fill positions, train staff, maintain quality, safety and productivity measures. Highly qualified clinicians and administrative staff are the key differentiator for patient retention and overall organizational success. So why don’t health systems invest more in their most valuable asset?
In HIM, automation and technology can only do so much to help with efficiency and productivity levels. The human element is still needed to audit, analyze and make recommendations or decisions on the data or outputs. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Health Information Technology and Medical Record Registrar jobs are forecasted to grow by 16% in the next 8 years due to retirements, increased needs of Baby Boomers and the vast amount of data that will need to be managed. How will health systems adapt and prepare?
At Becker’s Annual Meeting in April, one of the tracks addressed Hospital workforce recruitment, design and retention strategies. One of the sessions addressed how several health systems are addressing business needs through education. Specifically, Intermountain Health has built pathways for all levels of staff to grow in their careers by providing tuition advancements, support for credentials and certifications and addressing technology skill gaps. This has led to increased retention and engagement with staff. Another session was a 1:1 with Michael Dowling, CEO of Northwell Health. One of the solutions Northwell Health has begun to address staffing needs is by investing in a school where students can get hands on experience in healthcare and grow their career at Northwell.
Clearly there needs to be an investment in staff to continually address the challenges in healthcare. There are many associations like AAPC, AHIMA, AMIA, ANCC, CHIME, HFMA and HIMSS that provide training and credentials. Many colleges, universities and online education companies offer courses that support healthcare career growth. Libman Education, for example, offers online training for coders, auditors and CDI specialist working in a wide range of settings as well as credential exam preparation. All would happily support any health system looking to invest in their people.
Who will take that step and support the people who make healthcare work?
About the author:
Mary Ann Sullivan, MA, CCMP
Healthcare Planning & Strategy Leader
For 15+ years, Mary Ann has partnered with Association and Healthcare Executives to help organizations with leading organizational change management efforts, driving strategic planning processes, executing professional development & education strategies, developing strategic partnerships, managing operations and staff, increasing efficiency with process improvement efforts, and driving complex projects. All in an effort to transform the organization to meets its mission and achieve measurable outcomes.
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