/ en Sat, 26 Apr 2025 13:30:36 -0500 Tue, 11 Feb 25 17:03:39 -0600 /news/headline/2025-02-11-judge-blocks-cuts-nih-grant-funding <p>A federal judge has temporarily <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.280609/gov.uscourts.mad.280609.8.0.pdf" title="NIH grants">blocked cuts</a> to indirect cost rates for National Institutes of Health grants nationwide.  </p><p>Today’s order expands the scope of the temporary injunction issued <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.280590/gov.uscourts.mad.280590.25.0.pdf" title="temp injunction">last night</a> that applied only to certain states. The agency Feb. 7 issued <a href="https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-25-068.html" title="guidance">guidance</a> saying it would apply a straight 15% indirect cost rate across all new and existing grant awards beginning Feb. 10.   </p> Tue, 11 Feb 2025 17:03:39 -0600 Workforce Research /aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2023-11-21-4-ways-updating-workforce-models-can-deliver-big-results <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <p><img alt="4 Ways Updating Workforce Models Can Deliver Big Results. A group of clinicians gathered in a circle put their hands on top of each other's hands as part of a team celebration." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4a5cc431-51a7-440f-9880-24afca287481" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/4-Ways-Updating-Workforce-Models-Can-Deliver-Big-Results.png" width="590" height="327"></p> <p>Hospitals and health systems are reexamining and redesigning clinical care delivery and staffing strategies. This primarily is a response to the nation’s rapidly changing demographics and the large numbers of clinicians leaving the field due to retirement or other factors.</p> <p><img alt="2024 AHA Health Care Workforce Scan cover." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="31ea4896-17e4-4266-a25a-65c596198c38" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/2024-AHA-Health-Care-Workforce-Scan.png" width="100" height="130" class="align-left">And even though it’s still early in this transformation, many provider organizations are making impressive gains, notes the AHA’s recently released <a href="/aha-workforce-scan">2024 Health Care Workforce Scan</a>. The report provides a wealth of examples of how provider organizations are piloting new care models and leveraging existing and emerging digital technologies to augment, support and streamline workforce roles.</p> <p>As the report illustrates, health care leaders are reshaping their visions for workforce recruitment, training and sustainability while embracing new strategies and making important tweaks to programs that have served the field well for decades.</p> <h2><span>4 Ways Workforce Models Are Transforming</span></h2> <h3>1 <span>|</span> <span>Team-based care enters a new era.</span></h3> <p>The team-based care model has its roots in World War II when the military overcame nurse shortages by training ancillary health care staff and medics to work with nurses. The Veterans Administration health system later adopted the model, as did many other hospitals. The modern-day model takes a more interprofessional approach than the traditional model and is managed by an experienced team leader knowledgeable in critical or specialty care who oversees team members moved to the unit to assist with care.</p> <p>Benefits of an interprofessional team-based approach vs. a primary nurse model include:</p> <ul> <li>Enables fewer specially trained physicians, advanced practice providers and RNs to manage a greater number of patients with the aid of support staff.</li> <li>Increases flexibility and agility to meet changing day-to-day needs and during crises.</li> <li>Provides added support for newly onboarded nurses.</li> <li>Improves quality, patient safety and staff satisfaction and can be more easily scaled to the acuity of the patient population.</li> </ul> <h4><span>Takeaway</span></h4> <p>Extensive formal and informal communication among the team leader and members, including frequent huddles and rounding, is essential to ensure safe, high-quality patient care. Training programs like <a href="/center/team-training/getting-started-teamstepps">TeamSTEPPS</a> can help develop the necessary skill sets to work productively in a team-based environment.</p> <h3>2 <span>|</span> <span>Flexible resource pools catch on.</span></h3> <p>Today’s flexible resource pools differ from yesterday’s float pools in three positive ways: (1) They use technology to forecast patient demand and combine precision scheduling and staffing, rather than relying on estimates and filling gaps at the last minute; (2) They are highly customized solutions designed to fit a health system’s specific needs, based on such factors as volume and census patterns; (3) They create a desirable choice for nurses seeking to build a variety of skills.</p> <p>Jefferson Health’s Nursing SEAL (Service, Excellence, Advocacy, Leadership) Team improved nurse staffing, patient care and health system financing in less than a year. Like the Navy SEALS special operations forces, the agile Nursing SEAL Team is deployed wherever the need is greatest.</p> <p>The team cares for patients across the health system’s 18 hospitals in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, meeting 12%-16% of identified staffing needs on a weekly basis — needs that previously went unfilled or were filled with core staff overtime, agency nurses or premium-paid shifts.</p> <h4><span>Takeaway</span></h4> <p>Using a flexible resource pool instead of external agency nurses supports more consistent patient care while also enabling significant savings.</p> <h3>3 <span>|</span> <span>Gig work gains a foothold.</span></h3> <p>Embracing the gig economy has helped health systems like Chesterfield, Missouri-based Mercy fill staffing gaps, reduce costs and boost nurse satisfaction. Using apps like ride-sharing tools connects hospitals to a broader and more fluid labor pool and gives nurses more control than they have with agency contracts.</p> <p>Mercy rolled out an app and online platform in the spring that enables its part-time nurses, as well as other local nurses, to pick up gig shifts across its 45 hospitals in Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas. The initiative proved popular with nurses, bringing back joy in practice through improved work-life balance.</p> <h4><span>Takeaway</span></h4> <p>Mercy achieved a 50% decrease in agency spend, saving more than $5 million. Meanwhile, its fill rate improved by 2%, achieving a target fill rate of 86%, and the program improved retention and recruitment by creating a gig workforce of 1,100 nurses.</p> <h3>4 <span>|</span> <span>Virtual nursing gets a makeover.</span></h3> <p>Many health systems are piloting and scaling up their virtual nursing programs to supplement staffing. Virtual nursing through partnerships with telehealth providers or development of homegrown solutions allows nurses to work remotely and frees up bedside nurses to provide more physical and emotional care.</p> <p>When Renton, Washington-based Providence introduced an innovative Co-Caring virtual nursing model, it did more than add a virtual nurse to the care team; it adjusted all provider roles. Home-based virtual nurses support bedside caregivers by helping with discharge, medication reconciliation and other administrative tasks, allowing nurses to practice at the top of their licenses and boosting satisfaction. First-year turnover rates at Covenant Medical Center, which piloted the program, dropped by 73% for RNs and 55% overall.</p> <h4><span>Takeaway</span></h4> <p>Deploying technology to facilitate gig shift selection can reduce spending, increase staff flexibility and offer the potential for increased job satisfaction.</p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <p><a href="/center" title="Visit the AHA Center for Health Innovation landing page."><img alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation logo" data-entity- data-entity-uuid="7ade6b12-de98-4d0b-965f-a7c99d9463c5" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/logo-aha-innovation-center-color-sm.jpg" type="file" class="align-center"></a></p> <p><a href="/center/form/innovation-subscription"><img alt data-entity-type data-entity-uuid src="/sites/default/files/2019-04/Market_Scan_Call_Out_360x300.png"></a></p> </div> </div> </div> .field_featured_image { position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } .featured-image{ position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } Tue, 21 Nov 2023 08:47:31 -0600 Workforce Research /guidesreports/2022-07-20-navigate-workforce-challenges-regional-health-care-jobs-data <p>To help AHA members navigate the ongoing demands associated with workforce recruitment and retention, the AHA has partnered with <a href="https://www.prolucent.com/" target="_blank" title="Prolucent Health homepage">Prolucent Health</a> to create the <em><strong>Health Care Job Postings Report.</strong></em></p><p>These region-specific reports are derived from data aggregated by Prolucent’s platform <a href="https://info.prolucent.com/aha_lc_0222" target="_blank" title="Workforce Insights Powered by LiquidCompass">LiquidCompass</a> directly from hospital/health system career sites.</p><p>They include the following data points:</p><ul><li>All job postings by state and role</li><li>All nurse postings by state, title, specialty</li><li>RN data<ul><li>Job postings by state, specialty</li><li>Time to fill</li><li>New graduate job postings</li><li>Job features – shift type, employment type, educational requirements, experience requirements</li><li>Compensation trends</li></ul></li><li>Hiring bonus by state and by specialty</li></ul><p>This partnership also provides AHA member hospitals with access to <a href="https://info.prolucent.com/aha_lc_0222" target="_blank" title="Workforce Insights Powered by LiquidCompass">local hospital job posting trends data</a> at no cost. Additional data is available Prolucent Health through a premium service as a subscription.</p><p><strong>To access your report, select and download your region's report. These reports will be updated quarterly.</strong></p>   --><hr><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-1.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 1: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont PDF."><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/Q4-2022-report-region-1.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="2022 Q2 Health Care Jobs Report Region 1: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont. AHA Data & Insights. Report generated by Prolucent Health." width="651" height="843"></a></p><div><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-1.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 1: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont PDF.">Download the Region 1 PDF</a></div></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-2.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 2: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania PDF."><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/Q4-2022-report-region-2.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 2: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania. AHA Data and Insights. Report generated by Prolucent Health." width="611" height="790"></a></p><div><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-2.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q2 Health Care Jobs Report Region 2: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania PDF.">Download the Region 2 PDF</a></div></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-3.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 3: Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, District of Columbia PDF."><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/Q4-2022-report-region-3.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="2022 Q2 Health Care Jobs Report Region 3: Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, District of Columbia. AHA Data & Insights. Report generated by Prolucent Health." width="612" height="790"></a></p><div><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-3.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 3: Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, District of Columbia PDF.">Download the Region 3 PDF</a></div></div></div><hr><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-4.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q2 Health Care Jobs Report Region 4: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico PDF."><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/Q4-2022-report-region-4.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 4: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico. AHA Data & Insights. Report generated by Prolucent Health." width="609" height="790"></a></p><div><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-4.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 4: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico PDF.">Download the Region 4 PDF</a></div></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-5.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q2 Health Care Jobs Report Region 5: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin PDF."><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/Q4-2022-report-region-5.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="2022 Q2 Health Care Jobs Report Region 5: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin. AHA Data & Insights. Report generated by Prolucent Health." width="610" height="789"></a></p><div><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-5.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 5: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin PDF.">Download the Region 5 PDF</a></div></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-6.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 6: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota PDF."><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/Q4-2022-report-region-6.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 6: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota. AHA Data & Insights. Report generated by Prolucent Health." width="610" height="788"></a></p><div><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-6.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 6: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota PDF.">Download the Region 6 PDF</a></div></div></div><hr><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-7.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 7: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas. AHA Data & Insights PDF."><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/Q4-2022-report-region-7.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 7: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas. AHA Data & Insights. AHA Data & Insights. Report generated by Prolucent Health." width="653" height="844"></a></p><div><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-7.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 7: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas. AHA Data & Insights PDF.">Download the Region 7 PDF</a></div></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-8.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 8: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming PDF."><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/Q4-2022-report-region-8.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 8: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming. AHA Data & Insights. Report generated by Prolucent Health." width="542" height="703"></a></p><div><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-8.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 8: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming PDF.">Download the Region 8 PDF</a></div></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-9.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q2 Health Care Jobs Report Region 9: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington PDF."><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/Q4-2022-report-region-9.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="2022 Q2 Health Care Jobs Report Region 9: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington. AHA Data & Insights. Report generated by Prolucent Health." width="608" height="789"></a></p><div><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2023/05/AHA-Report-2022-Q4-Region-9.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the 2022 Q4 Health Care Jobs Report Region 9: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington PDF.">Download the Region 9 PDF</a></div></div></div><hr><p>We welcome your feedback! Please email <a href="mailto:Elisa@aha.org">Elisa Arespacochaga</a> with your thoughts and suggestions.</p><p> </p> Wed, 20 Jul 2022 12:23:00 -0500 Workforce Research /news/insights-and-analysis/2020-02-13-nj-leader-cites-aha-trendwatch-resource-address-workforce <p>New Jersey hospitals employ more than 150,000 people, a significant portion of our state’s workforce. Because we are often the largest employers in our communities, hospitals share a responsibility for creating a motivated, highly skilled and dynamic workforce that improves both the community and clinical care.  </p> <p>The latest <a href="/guidesreports/2020-01-08-trendwatch-hospital-and-health-system-workforce-strategic-planning">AHA TrendWatch</a> on hospital and health system workforce presents several opportunities to combat challenges getting in the way of developing such a workforce. These challenges include burnout, financial pressures, workplace violence and fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. </p> <p>One area New Jersey hospitals have championed is diversity and inclusiveness. The TrendWatch points to research that shows a diverse workforce leads to increased patient choice and satisfaction, especially in racial and ethnic minority populations.  </p> <p>We’ve directed our efforts in several ways, including engaging our current team members, both within the New Jersey Hospital Association and in concert with our members, in a self-examination of implicit bias and structural racism through our two-part conference series Patients, Prejudice and Policy; awareness is the first step toward change. And from the policy perspective, hospital and health system executives provided statewide leadership when they publicly supported a recent increase in New Jersey’s minimum wage, recognizing that our goal of good health is influenced by paying employees a livable wage. </p> <p>In another example, we redesigned NJHA’s annual scholarship program to help entry-level employees envision a career journey in health care. Our new Pathway Scholarships are for those not only in baccalaureate and graduate programs, but also in certificate-level programs to help employees from diverse backgrounds and care settings grow their skills and advance their potential. The TrendWatch cites that 7.2% lab technician remain unfilled, and there is a growing need for administration and environmental services workers. Our program is designed to shrink that gap by showing there are jobs outside of nursing and physician roles. </p> <p>As president and CEO of NJHA, I hope to see more progress in employee development, recognizing that the next big transformative idea may very well be germinating right now in a young professional in your organization. We must create a culture where those employees are supported and that we continue to listen – and learn – from one another. Creating a culture where people are respected and appreciated requires effort and investment. That culture of inclusion provides common ground and affects how we feel. In health care, an inclusive culture brings diverse backgrounds together and ensures that our different voices are heard, valued and acted upon. If we succeed, we have a workplace where employees flourish and demonstrate empathy, joy, laughter and compassion, rather than burnout. And as importantly, a workplace that benefits from ideas, innovations, skills and engagement. </p> <p>This issue is close to my heart, and it’s why I sit on AHA’s The Changing Workforce Task Force. This group of 24 hospital and health system leaders will help AHA explore health care workforce challenges, identify future trends, recommend policy and advocacy changes as well as key operational considerations, and help raise awareness of workforce issues among the health care field. While we cannot fully predict what jobs hospitals will need in years to come, the AHA and hospital and health system leaders continue to work together to provide important and timely thought leadership on this topic. </p> <p><em>Cathy Bennett is president and CEO of the New Jersey Hospital Association.</em></p> Thu, 13 Feb 2020 09:10:15 -0600 Workforce Research /news/headline/2018-04-10-kaiser-permanente-commits-2-million-gun-injury-prevention-research <p>Kaiser Permanente is investing $2 million in research to prevent gun injuries and death, the Oakland, CA-based integrated health system <a href="https://share.kaiserpermanente.org/article/kaiser-permanente-commits-2-million-to-gun-injury-prevention-research/">announced</a> yesterday. As part of the effort, the health system has launched a task force on firearm injury prevention. “Going forward, we will study interventions to prevent gun injuries the same way we study cancer, heart disease and other leading causes of preventable death in America,” said Bechara Choucair, M.D., Kaiser Permanente’s chief community health officer and task force co-lead. The clinician-guided research will identify evidence-based tools to guide clinical and community prevention efforts, which will be disseminated through webinars, white papers and peer-reviewed publications, the organization said.</p> Tue, 10 Apr 2018 15:05:44 -0500 Workforce Research /news/headline/2018-04-06-samhsa-launches-online-resource-center <p>The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has launched an <a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/ebp-resource-center">Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center</a>, which offers treatment improvement protocols, clinical practice guidelines and other tools related to opioids and other substance use prevention, treatment and recovery, and serious mental illness and mental health. “SAMHSA is committed to improving prevention, treatment and recovery support services for mental and substance use disorders,” <a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/press-announcements/201804050230">said</a> Elinore McCance-Katz, assistant secretary for mental health and substance use. “Science and the evidence base continue to expand and change. Our vision for the Resource Center is to be dynamic and to respond to changing science and evidence, in order to deliver the most relevant and proven resources to Americans.”</p> Fri, 06 Apr 2018 15:10:52 -0500 Workforce Research /news/headline/2018-04-04-nih-initiative-targets-better-ways-prevent-treat-opioid-addiction <p>The National Institutes of Health will spend about $1.1 billion this year on research to prevent and treat opioid addiction, NIH Director Francis Collins, M.D., <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-launches-heal-initiative-doubles-funding-accelerate-scientific-solutions-stem-national-opioid-epidemic">announced</a> today. The Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative will study patients after acute onset of musculoskeletal pain and after surgery to identify biomarkers that might predict those more likely to transition from acute to chronic pain; genetic and social factors that put patients at risk for opioid misuse and addiction; and best practices for pain management using nondrug and integrated therapies for specific pain conditions. It also will pursue public-private partnerships to develop new non-addictive pain medicines; build a clinical trials network to allow multiple compounds to be tested simultaneously for effectiveness; research additional treatment options for addiction and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome; and test prevention and treatment options in health care and criminal justice settings in states with the highest opioid misuse and overdose rates.</p> Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:46:34 -0500 Workforce Research