Harrisburg, PA (January 30, 2024) – Pennsylvania hospitals’ extraordinary efforts to develop, recruit, and retain health professionals helped reduce care team turnover by 28 percent over the past year, according to a report released today by The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP).
Nearly all hospitals surveyed reported raising pay, offering flexible work schedules, and partnering with educators to develop the next generation of caregivers. HAP’s November 2023 survey also examined the ways hospitals are evolving care and enhancing staff safety.
Despite significant progress over 2022, hospitals continue to face challenges hiring direct care professionals, with statewide average vacancy rates exceeding 10 percent for most positions. Hospitals reported nearly 1 in 5 nursing support positions (19 percent) was vacant in late 2023 and close to 1 in 7 positions for direct care registered nurses (14 percent). Hospitals in rural communities reported even greater challenges with average vacancy rates of 28 percent for nursing support staff and 26 percent for registered nurses.
Pennsylvania is expected to have the worst shortfall of registered nurses nationally by 2026 and the third-worst shortfalls of nursing support professionals and mental health providers, according to projections from Mercer.
“Pennsylvania hospitals and health systems are leading solutions to attract and keep the caregivers they need to serve their communities today and develop the workforce that will meet a growing need as the commonwealth ages,” said HAP President and CEO Nicole Stallings. “We need comprehensive investments and public policies to build on this momentum and strengthen Pennsylvania’s health care workforce.”
Key findings from HAP’s survey include:
Detailed survey results and HAP’s workforce policy recommendations are available online.
# # #
Tags: Workforce | Access to Care
Liam Migdail, Vice President, Strategic Communications
Additional resources can be found at HAP's Media page.
Related Links