Low levels of patient-facing staff lead hospitals to turn away some who seek care, resulting in lost revenues for the hospital and contributing to low occupancy rates. A single patient stay can produce up to $12,000 in revenue for a hospital, according to a report by Clinical Magnet and HRO Today.
The report surveyed hospital human resources staff, hiring mangers, directors and vice presidents, 80 percent of whom said they would expect HCAHPS ratings to be higher if they were able to higher additional staff members.
"It is clear that patient care remains a critical component for leaders within this industry and after reviewing the findings in this research, it supports the position for healthcare providers to explore increased investment in innovative and creative methods to acquire talent, so they have the ability to maintain the strong patient care so critical to their missions and visions," Travis Furlow, president of Clinical Magnet, said in a statement.
Here are four findings from the "HR in the ER" report:
- Nearly two-thirds of respondents, or 62 percent, said their hospitals could have higher patient counts if there were more employees in patient care.
- Almost 50 percent of the hiring managers with low staffing levels indicated that patient care staffing levels are low in their hospitals because they can't find enough professionals with the right skill sets.
- Almost 80 percent of those surveyed said they could achieve higher patient satisfaction with additional headcount.
- The greatest obstacle in offering wellness programs is having enough qualified staff, according to over one-half of study participants.
The full report can be downloaded here.