The new $100,000 fee tied to H-1B visa petitions is expected to affect healthcare workforce pipelines. How are CEOs communicating the potential impact to their teams?
Hospital leaders are assessing potential adjustments to recruitment practices for team members — including residents, other physicians and researchers — under new visa rules, according to Tim Johnson, senior vice president of the Greater New York Hospital Association.
The fee applies only to new applicants living outside the U.S., not those already residing in the country — such as international students — according to recent guidance from the White House. It also does not apply to previously issued, valid H-1B visas or those submitted before the policy took effect Sept. 21.
“None of the policies affect the visa status of the current workforce,” Mr. Johnson told Becker’s. “The imposition of a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa petitions is forcing some hospitals to no longer accept a candidate requiring an H-1B visa, at least for some positions. This shrinking of the talent pool for the hospitals caused by the new H-1B fee policy may cause workforce shortages and reduce access to patient care.”
Hospital CEOs told Becker’s they are prioritizing transparency and trust with their workforce.
“We want to ensure our employees feel informed and heard during this time of uncertainty,” said Tim Dellit, MD, CEO of Seattle-based UW Medicine and dean of the UW School of Medicine. “We transparently share weekly updates on evolving federal policy changes and host a centralized information hub specific to this topic where staff can access news and resources in real time.”
UW Medicine also launched a platform for employees to submit questions and concerns about federal policy changes. Responses are addressed through several channels, including monthly virtual town halls, Dr. Dellit said.
Buffalo, N.Y.-based Kaleida Health’s communication strategy for external changes affecting its workforce is centered on being a trusted source of information.
“We want to share what we know when we know it, be partners in helping them understand what it means for their specific situation, and help them navigate that together,” President and CEO Don Boyd said.
Mr. Boyd said Kaleida Health emphasizes transparency through multiple communication channels, including direct messages from leadership.
“We’re trying to communicate as much as we can through different outlets so that people are well informed, because there’s a lot of confusion that can happen when you’ve got complex issues that people are hearing about for the first time,” he said.
Kaleida Health leaders are also engaging with local media to answer questions and foster a broader conversation.
“What’s impacting healthcare is not affecting just one organization,” Mr. Boyd said. “It affects all of us, and it affects our entire community. So we want to be a convener in bringing people together to have those conversations, not just inside the organization, but with our community as well.”
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