The COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated the need for hospitals and health systems to find more cost-effective, flexible staffing solutions that support clinician well-being and care quality. Considering the pandemic’s significant financial impact, it's critical to figure out staffing models that help cut and save costs.
As hospitals and health systems focus on patient care during this unprecedented crisis, it's important to partner with industry experts that will optimize staffing models and allow healthcare groups to focus on their core competency. Industry leaders from VISTA Staffing Solutions detailed how hospitals and health systems can achieve this in a webinar hosted by Becker's Hospital Review and sponsored by VISTA Staffing Solutions.
The leaders were:
- Andrea Nelson, Chief Operating Officer of VISTA Staffing Solutions
- Adam Rousey, Senior Vice President of VISTA Staffing Solutions
Four key takeaways from their discussion:
- It's crucial for hospitals and health systems to find the right partner to optimize their staffing model. A partner must have a track record of delivering on client goals and giving data-driven recommendations. In such a turbulent time, you need to expect trust, transparency, and accountability from your partners, Ms. Nelson and Mr. Rousey agreed. The right partner must also be able to provide a timeline for cost-containment goals as well as for measurable fiscal and staffing outcomes for both the short and long term.
- Decisions should be based on data, not emotions. VISTA completes a workforce optimization review, which is a free data analytical tool with a consultative approach, to document current and future utilization for productivity levels so its clients can base decisions on facts rather than emotion. The review gives clients information on such things as full-time labor costs, seasonal premiums and crisis premiums, and helps systems better use resources internal and externally.
- Balance technology and people solutions. Both technology and people drive solutions. Technology is a tool that allows increased transparency and accuracy, but healthcare is a people-driven business. Technology provides the infrastructure for alignment and robust real-time reporting and will enable people to understand what's happening and where workflow opportunities are. You must have the right people in place to make data-driven decisions that are in alignment with your expectations, Ms. Nelson and Mr. Rousey said.
- VISTA helps its clients save millions of dollars and stabilize patient care. In one case, VISTA worked with a national healthcare group that employed more than 25,000 physicians and operated in 45 states, and Washington, D.C. VISTA created a 60 percent reduction in utilization and 20 percent reduction in average bill rate. Its reassignment strategies also helped reduce dependency on locums. With the money the system saved, it was able to add nursing, allied, and pharmacy business lines.
To view the full webinar, click here.