Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Surgeon General: Health Workers Owed 'Urgent Debt Of Action' On Burnout
AP: Harris, Surgeon General Warn Of Health Care Worker Burnout
Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a warning Monday about burnout among the nation’s health care staff after more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the potential for severe worker shortages in the years ahead if the situation is not addressed. “You do so much to take care of your patients in their time of need,” Harris told health care workers as she visited Children’s National Hospital in Washington with Murthy on Monday. “Which is why I’m here to say, we need to do a better job of taking care of you.” (Megerian, 5/23)
Modern Healthcare: Surgeon General Warns Of Escalating Healthcare Worker Burnout
Burnout was on the rise prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among healthcare workers, 35% to 54% of nurses and physicians and 45% to 60% of medical students and residents reported burnout prior to 2020, according to National Academy of Medicine data included in the surgeon general's report. (Berryman, 5/23)
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ABC7 New York: Nurses, Techs At St. Michael's Medical Center In Newark Stage Strike Over Working Conditions
Nurses and technologists at St. Michael's Medical Center in Newark went on strike at 7 a.m. Monday, citing what they call hospital management's blatant disregard for the safety of employees and patients. (5/23)
North Carolina Health News: NC Public Health Workers Draw Road Map For Future
When hundreds of North Carolina public health leaders met in a Raleigh hotel recently for an annual conference, they could not help but look back at this most extraordinary time in health care and incorporate lessons learned from the pandemic as they planned for the future. One theme that emerged from the gathering of the state’s county health directors, medical directors and state workers was an old one: How long will North Carolina continue to leave billions of federal dollars out of state coffers by refusing to expand Medicaid? (Hoban, 5/24)
Axios: The Health Care Workforce Shortage Problem
America's shortfall of health care workers is adding to the obstacles the Biden administration faces in returning the country to normal. The nation entered the pandemic with major health care worker shortages and its workforce was strained to its limits in the emergency response to the COVID pandemic. It drove record levels of burnout and many to leave their roles. The Biden administration ramped up the urgency around America's health care workforce on Monday, releasing new recommendations for addressing burnout and other factors contributing to shortages. (Reed, 5/24)
Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Ohio Wants To Regulate And Put Caps On Health Care Staffing Agencies
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortage of health care workers nationwide caused serious strain on nursing homes, hospitals and other medical facilities. As a result, many turned to staffing agencies and traveling nurses to help fill the gap. But more than two years after the start of the pandemic, that relationship has soured. Given the unprecedented demand for workers, the agencies charged high rates, which many facilities felt they had no choice but to accept. As the nursing shortage continues, some Ohio lawmakers want to cap those rates and regulate staffing agencies. But nurses are criticizing the effort as capping wages and not addressing the shortage's root cause. (Wu, 5/24)
