Workforce

Auburn (Wash.) Medical Center, part of Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System, is battling a COVID-19 outbreak that has been linked to at least five employee cases, one patient death and eight additional patient cases, MultiCare said Nov. 10.

Stormont Vail Health in Topeka, Kan., has closed its child care center through at least Nov. 23 after 18 of 44 employees there tested positive for COVID-19, the health system said Nov. 9. 

Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic and Phoenix -based Banner Health are seeking to hire thousands of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Johnson City, Tenn.-based Ballad Health is seeking to hire 350 nurses to fill staffing needs amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a series of tweets from the health system. 

Healthcare added 58,300 jobs in October, with hospitals seeing job growth for the fourth month since March, according to the latest jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y., has quarantined 36 medical residents who attended an off-campus Halloween party with a co-worker who subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, according to Syracuse.com.

University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas, was nearing full capacity on Nov. 4, and 190 of its staff members were quarantined due to potential COVID-19 exposure. 

Marlette (Mich.) Regional Hospital reported a COVID-19 outbreak affecting 1 percent of staff as of Nov. 2. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has sidelined healthcare workers throughout Wisconsin, prompting hospitals to offer signing bonuses and take other approaches to ensure their facilities are well-staffed, according to The Post-Crescent.

Many healthcare facilities are still reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A reduced patient census, decreased revenue, and continued uncertainty over what will happen with COVID-19 have made it harder than ever to plan for the future.