Hospital Sisters Health System, a Catholic organization based in Springfield, Ill., is removing all wooden and metal crucifixes from its hospitals' emergency departments and patient rooms. 

Amid today's talent market, hospitals and health system leaders are rethinking how they train and upskill workers. This is especially crucial as they need to fill staffing gaps and ensure their operational needs are met to address industry challenges.

Many healthcare workers at hospitals and nursing homes are choosing not to stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations now that mandates are no longer in effect, especially in certain parts of the country, according to a CDC study published Nov 10.

How big of a raise do people think they need to be happy? Nearly a 50% bump, according to a Wall Street Journal report based on recent survey findings. 

New York, California, Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas are among the states with the greatest number of newly certified physician assistants/associates, according to one new report.

Four key factors are driving changes in the healthcare workforce as the aging U.S. population continues to grow, requiring more care from fewer, younger workers, according to a November report published by the American Hospital Association.

A new role at Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth designed to allow registered nurses to work at the top of their scope of practice has attracted applicants from an unusual source — Best Buy.

Cleveland Clinic plans to double the staff for its Center for Community Health Workers over the next month to develop more patient advocates who receive specialized training in health equity. 

The U.S. saw some positive labor trends this year, such as strong workforce participation, but it remains to be seen whether there will be a repeat in 2024, according to one new report released Nov. 15. 

Ron Peterson, CEO of Mountain Home, Ark.-based Baxter Health, stamped out rumors of large-scale layoffs during a Nov. 15 interview with local radio station KTLO. The health system has been able to deal with financial challenges in another way, he said: attrition. 

"Code Lilac" — one of the largest, most robust hospital-based peer responder programs in the country — was born at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in 2015 after a workshop on vicarious trauma led staff to acknowledge the emotional toll of their work. 

Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health is testing an employee self-scheduling initiative in cath labs, a director disclosed in an Oct. 31 Q&A with Philips. 

Emergency department workers at Burlington-based University of Vermont Health Network are opening up about the workplace violence they have experienced. 

Tristin Kate Smith, an emergency room nurse, was 28 years old when she died by suicide in August. Five months prior, she wrote a letter comparing the healthcare industry to an abusive partner that has grown to resonate with exhausted clinicians across the country. 

There's no "coffee badging" in the military, so companies are increasingly looking to hire veterans, according to a Nov. 9 article from The Wall Street Journal. 

When it comes to their well-being, workers report that several initiatives would have the greatest impact, according to new survey data.

The number of working-age adults reporting serious cognitive issues increased during the pandemic and is now at the highest level seen in the past 15 years, according to Census Bureau data cited by The New York Times.

Hospitals and health systems are implementing various strategies as they look to drive efficiency and plan for short-term and long-term growth. One strategy seen at several systems in recent months: offering buyouts and voluntary separation to workers.

CEO Stephen Gray started his new position at cash-strapped Watsonville (Calif.) Hospital on Nov. 1 and is already locked in negotiations with nursing staff, according to a Nov. 13 Lookout Santa Cruz.

Hospital and health system workers put in long hours during the COVID-19 pandemic as the nation faced a public health crisis. Now, in the post-pandemic era, workers in healthcare and across industries say they are being burned out after being asked to work increasing overtime to offset staffing shortages, NBC News reported Nov. 12.