Becker's ASC Review

43 HEALTHCARE NEWS What happens next with travel nurse pay? By Laura Dyrda T ravel nurse pay doubled, and in some cases tripled, during the pandemic as staff shortages increased rapidly and healthcare providers needed additional support. e sizable salaries travel nurses command have prompted some nurses to leave steady, full-time jobs for travel nursing, worsening the workforce shortage for hospitals. Some hospitals are now using COVID-19 relief funds to pay for travel staff and nursing, and Texas reportedly used billions of relief funds to cover travel nurse costs. ASC owners are also feeling the pinch. Surgery centers are unable to compete with travel nurse salaries or hospitals offering six-figure sign-on bonuses and higher wages to attract talent. ey instead rely on a more stable 8 a.m.-to-5 p.m. schedule for nurses, with no night or weekend shis, as an advantage of working there. "Staffing costs are through the roof. We are a cardiac-only facility, and our staff are highly specialized," said Brock Kreienbrink, MSN, RN, administrator and director of nursing for Outpatient Surgery Center of Central Florida in Wildwood. "COVID-19 has created travel opportunities for these employees at unheard-of prices. e combination of staff leaving our market at significant levels and the increase of ASCs/catheterization labs/hospitals in our market is draining the staffing pool — which is causing major inflation in the staffing cost to compete for these employees." At the end of January, almost 200 members of the House of Rep- resentatives asked the White House to investigate the high charges from nurse staffing agencies. e lawmakers accused the agencies of taking advantage of increased demand during the pandemic to boost profits and want the White House to determine if the agencies are violating consumer protection laws. A letter the members of Congress sent to the White House said in some cases the staffing agencies have taken 40 percent or more of the hospital charges for profits. Several organizations, including the American Hospital Associa- tion, also wrote a letter to the White House's COVID-19 response team coordinator Jeffrey Zients asking for an investigation into staffing agencies. e letter asked the White House to focus on staffing agencies and not the employed nurses, and it doesn't men- tion a salary cap. But Deb Meyer, RN, administrator of Skyline Sur- gery Center in Pocatello, Idaho, would welcome traveler pay caps. "Currently, we are in a wage war due to healthcare worker shortag- es. Healthcare workers are in such demand and can get paid nearly quadruple to work as a traveler within their own communities. is makes finding loyal employees harder and harder," she said. Some states are taking the issue into their own hands. California ad- opted a policy earlier this year that affirms out-of-state nurses would not be able to work in the state without a temporary or permanent California nursing license. e policy goes into effect March 31, when the state's Emergency Medical Provision Authority expires. n White House releases plan to strengthen supply chain By Erica Carbajal T he Biden administration released long-term actions it plans to take to boost supply chain resiliency Feb. 24. Among the actions it plans to take include investing in port infrastructure to improve the flow of goods from ships to shelves; expanding domestic production and processing of minerals used in appliances, motors and other goods; and using the Defense Production Act to build and expand the health resources industrial base to reduce dependence on imports for "key pharmaceu- tical products and active pharmaceutical ingredients." The plans to strengthen the nation's supply chain are based on new reports from seven cabinet agencies, in- cluding HHS and the Department of Transportation. n Walmart looks to add 50,000 jobs, including in new health business By Georgina Gonzalez Walmart is looking to hire 50,000 new employees by the end of April to fill both store roles and to expand its health and wellness teams, The Wall Street Journal reported March 16. Walmart stands as the nation's largest private em- ployer, with 1.6 million employees in the U.S. alone. The company is also hiring 5,000 associates to fill roles in its global tech business and are adding hubs in Toronto and Atlanta, according to a news release. Last year, the company hired over 5,000 pharmacists and pharmacy managers to boost its healthcare busi- ness during the pandemic. In an effort to retain workers during the Great Resigna- tion, it raised its minimum wage, added an employee education program and began offering telehealth and mental health services for its employees at no cost. "People are reassessing their lives, and we want to be in consideration when people are determining where they want to go and where they want to stay," Donna Morris, Walmart's chief people officer told the Journal. n

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