Workforce Development: Building the Next Generation | E. 102

US healthcare is facing a severe shortage of workers at every level. 6.5 million are expected to leave their jobs by 2026. Geoffrey Roche addresses the challenges in building a new workforce with Jim Cagliostro. 

 

Episode Introduction 

Geoffrey highlights the impact of the current staffing crisis in healthcare, and why leadership needs to evolve from a transactional to a heart-centered approach. He also explains why delays to access in care can cost hospitals up to $1 million every month, how one community college turned away over 13,600 qualified students from a program, and why every healthcare leader should become a mentor.

 

Show Topics

 

• The impact of an ongoing workforce crisis

• A changing approach to healthcare leadership

• Industry and academia must connect to support the workforce

• Access to care delays may cost hospitals $1 million every month

• Delayed care leads to poorer patient outcomes and higher costs

• Qualified students can’t access vital healthcare programs

• All healthcare leaders should mentor

 

 

02:33 The impact of an ongoing workforce crisis  

Geoffrey said the staffing shortage, combined with retention challenges, are impacting access to care. 

‘’… we sit at a huge inflection point. Probably without question the most challenging time in our nation's healthcare workforce is, as we speak today, certainly not that dissimilar from 2023. And when we look at it, we've got a significant supply and demand challenge. We know that there are not enough individuals graduating from college in pretty much every aspect of a healthcare program. We also know that retention still remains a very significant challenge, whether it's a clinical role or a nonclinical role. I think we have to be honest though about the impact that we are all seeing and will continue to face, particularly in the licensed areas of our healthcare system. It doesn't go a day where I talk to somebody and they share an access to care delay, whether it's in imaging, whether it's in lab, whether it's in outpatient or inpatient services. We're certainly at a very, very difficult time.’’

 

06:00 A changing approach to healthcare leadership

Geoffrey said leaders in a multi-generational workforce need to demonstrate empathy and not judge. 

‘’I think leadership as a whole is taught very differently, right? And different points in time, different generations, the way that they have been taught leadership in some ways was command and control, which some would argue is more like transactional. And as we further see, we've got how many different generations, some people say five, some people say six. Whatever the number is, we've got more generations in the workforce than ever. And what we know is that our younger and our future generations have a much different view of leadership than previous ones. And we know that connection, respect, empathy, really this desire to understand that it's not going to just be the status quo, is not going to be the future of leadership when we look at all the different generations. And so it's really incredibly important that we have leaders in healthcare that can relate and understand and demonstrate empathy and not judge. I always say nobody