State of Reform produced a panel of experts focused on tackling obstacles that plague the health care workforce in Michigan.
The members of the panel were announced during the annual 2021 Michigan State of Reform Health Policy Conference. During the conference, the chosen panelists addressed the issues potential employees face when they seek to enter the health care workforce. The panelists discussed the struggle to fill mid-level positions and the effect of rising turnover rates.
Included in the panel of experts were Josh Richmond, senior director of physician engagement at Michigan State Medical Society, Craig Donahue, COO at Michigan Health Council, Evan Linskey, economic analyst at the State of Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, and Kelly Elkins, workforce program specialist at Mercy Health.
The panel of experts began the discussion by addressing the retention of essential employees in the health care industry, saying that the future of the industry looked grim.
Richmond told those who attended the conference that by 2025, Michigan will be short 10,000 physicians and other essential employees. These positions are necessary to have the industry run smoothly. Without the proper number of employees, health care systems would begin to back up and patients would have to wait longer to be seen.
Richmond added that there are basic problems in the path to enter the industry as an essential employee. The panelists then began to discuss ways to address the issues.
Oftentimes health care workers need to get a certification or diploma, which can be costly and take months or years to complete. Underprivileged communities have an unusually tough time completing the classes due to a lack of funds.
Richmond said it could take up to a decade to produce the number of doctors needed. “We could change the entire landscape and not really produce more physicians for seven to 10 years," Richmond said, according to the State of Reform website.
The panelists discussed that there are inherent problems in the path to entering the workforce. Elkins said that jobs like technicians, certified nursing assistants and even registered nurses are difficult to fill.
The national turnover rate for bedside nursing now is 60%, State of Reform reported.
