Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hospitals Expand Incentives To Keep Scarce Staff Happy
Becker's Hospital Review: Beyond The Dollar: Hospitals Embrace Flexibility To Retain Workers
Competitive pay, on-site day care, housing and tuition reimbursement/assistance programs, and even covering employees' gas costs to get to work are among monetary incentives that will likely continue, but the next phase of recruitment and retention should prioritize giving employees more autonomy in their schedules, several chief nursing and medical officers told Becker's. (Gooch, Carbajal, Gonzalez and Schoonover, 7/29)
KHN: To Retain Nurses And Other Staffers, Hospitals Are Opening Child Care Centers
When Jennifer Lucier and her husband found out they were expecting a baby in 2016, they immediately made three phone calls. The first was to her mother. The second was to her husband’s family. And the third was to the Roper St. Francis Healthcare Learning Center. That last call, she felt, was particularly urgent. Lucier wanted to secure a spot for her unborn infant on the day care’s long waiting list. (Sausser, 8/1)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: St. Louis Nursing School, Open 124 Years, Closes Due To Finances, Enrollment
The Lutheran School of Nursing, which first opened its doors in 1898 but has struggled in recent years with finances and enrollment, has closed. (Neman, 7/31)
More on health care costs and coverage —
Fierce Healthcare: Health Systems Confident Payers Will Concede Higher 2023 Rates
Executives from some of the country’s largest for-profit health systems say it’s likely their organizations will be able to pass rising cost pressures along to commercial insurers during the next round of contract negotiations. Speaking to investors during earnings calls this past week, the hospital chains each reported limited non-COVID volumes, supply chain interruptions and pricey contract labor rates that are expected to persist through the end of the year. (Muoio, 7/29)
Axios: Employees Are Increasingly On The Hook For Their Medical Costs
The growth of high-deductible health plans led to people with employer-sponsored coverage paying for a larger share, on average, of their health care costs between 2013 and 2019, according to a new analysis by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. (Owens, 7/29)
The Boston Globe: Demand For Mental Health Care Rising In Asian American Communities As More Speak Openly Of Struggles
Boston organizations serving Asian American communities say they’ve seen an uptick in people seeking mental health services. To meet that need, they’ve created culturally sensitive mental health programming and adding professionally trained staff. VietAID, a group that serves Dorchester’s Vietnamese community, plans this fall to launch a two-year mental health program in response to increased community interest. (Huynh, 7/29)
