Rochester Regional Health (RRH) is adjusting staffing at three local hospitals to address nursing shortages. This includes reducing the number of inpatient beds temporarily to ensure safe patient care and appropriate staffing levels.
Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) – Adjustments are in place at three local hospitals amid nursing staff shortages.RRH said it's working to 're-align' nursing teams at Rochester General, Unity and Newark-Wayne hospitals to 'reduce reliance on costly contracted agency nurses' and hire permanent staff. The health system said this has been a continuous challenge since the pandemic began.
Daniel Ireland, RRH's president and chief operating officer for Finger Lakes rural hospitals, said the change may result in a temporary reduction of inpatient beds. 'In order to ensure that we provide the safe patient care and appropriately staff the beds, we will sometimes limit the number of beds on any one of our medical surgical units,” Ireland explained. The measures went into place at the three hospitals last month to reduce dependency on agency nurses, according to Ireland. He explained the health system hasn't eliminated or cut anyone from their contracts, but began efforts to not renew contracts for agency nurses. 'We have worked to reduce our dependency on agency through recruitment and retention strategies, and really aligning with our local schools,” Ireland said. RRH is offering what Ireland called a “core contract” to agency nurses whose contracts the health system is not renewing, giving agency nurses an employment opportunity to stay with RRH. “Some (agency nurses) have taken that opportunity,” Ireland said. “But with that, you sometimes will see the staffing levels drop below what we what we forecast them to be.” The number of beds currently reduced is unknown. Ireland said reductions will be determined on a week-to-week basis. 'It is a process, it's not a light switch,” Ireland said. 'Are we able to, you know, maybe limit a few more beds for a short period of time, with the goal that eventually we're going to recruit staff back into them? There are many factors that go involved in tha
Nursing Shortages Hospitals Inpatient Beds Staffing Healthcare Crisis
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