Innovation key to recruiting for healthcare providers

With more people reaching retirement age, the need for the best-quality healthcare services is inevitable. And with the increasing elderly population comes a demand for qualified professionals in all divisions of medicine. The shortage is certainly being felt within several states located in the Deep South and Mid-western regions of the country.

Like most other areas of the country, the nursing shortage has taken its toll on Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Kansas. An aging nursing work force, a greater number of career choices, and poor working conditions are just some of the reasons for the problem. Nurses in specialty areas such as intensive care and labor and delivery room have been especially difficult positions to fill. To make matters worse, the number of people enrolling in nursing schools has dropped considerably over the past few years.

Although there has been much attention drawn to the nursing shortage, healthcare providers across the board are finding it increasingly difficult to attract and retain qualified staff. Jobs that are in demand include radiologists, ultrasound technicians, dentists, mammographers, occupational therapists and physical therapists. There is a growing demand for pharmacists not only in Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas, but across the country. Competition from the retail sector has made it difficult for hospitals and other medical facilities to find these professionals.

Hospitals and all other facilities have been making every effort to recruit people in all different professions. Although the sign-on bonus has been an incentive to get people in the door, healthcare providers are realizing that this method may is certainly not a final solution. This is why a growing number of medical facilities are developing more creative measures to not only attract good people but keep them on board.

In order to make a difference state organizations are working with the public and private sectors on long-term solutions to what is becoming a critical healthcare shortage. They are reaching out to local youth, discussing career opportunities in the healthcare industry. Currently there are many retention strategies in place -- flexible scheduling, training programs, internships, scholarships and tuition reimbursement. This is a great start to combating what may be a long-term.