As hospices focus on investing in staff engagement and operational efficiency, organizational culture is becoming a growing priority.
Hospices across the country are taking different approaches to how to foster investments in staffing with sustainable growth in mind. Some companies have leveraged technology to streamline operations and reduce the burden of documentation, while others have shaped their organizational culture and poured resources into training and career path development.
According to Tanya Marion, chief human resources officer at Enhave Inc. (NYSE: EHAB), investing in employee engagement channels is the key to understanding and leveraging employee priorities for a successful retention strategy. This is the key. Marion noted that for the Dallas-based home health and hospice company, having a window into consideration of priorities such as career development and work-life balance is a key factor in retention.
“Much of the success of our recruitment and retention policies has to do with considering what each individual employee values most: their needs and what they want to meet,” Marion told Hospice News in an email. can vary widely.” “Once we understand these needs, we strive to meet them by giving employees flexible schedules and career growth opportunities. These are the things that attract employees to an organization and keep them there. All Gone are the days when employees expected to fit into a job mold. Workers want to be treated as individuals and know that their employer values their unique gifts and talents. I am.”
Status of hospice employees
Hospice workforce numbers are expected to improve in 2024 compared to previous years, but staffing pressures remain a top concern for many organizations.
In Hospice News' 2024 Outlook Survey conducted with HomeCare Homebase, 36% of 143 respondents cited staffing as a major issue in 2024. This is down from 54% of respondents in the 2023 survey and 68% in the 2022 survey.
Hospices are pouring more and more money into workforce development. Around 18% of respondents cited staff engagement and satisfaction as a key driver of investment this year.
Nearly one-third of hospices plan to invest in operational process improvements this year, and 15% said they will devote resources to staff training techniques.
Marion said investing in technology and internal communications is key to creating a collaborative work environment. For example, leveraging predictive analytics technology can help staff feel better prepared to assess patient needs, she said. Improving operational processes can also be an important sustainment tool, Marion added.
“Enabling multidisciplinary teams to collaborate and collaborate to provide high-quality end-of-life care 24/7, especially when caring for critically ill patients. [their] clinical decision-making skills [and] It promotes independence and teamwork,” Marion said. “We have had success by adapting the use of technology when driving business process improvements, particularly when improving communication between hospice team members. Email while improving communication The opportunity to reduce the number of calls and phone calls increases clinician efficiency and time management.”
Investing in technology and operational efficiency is an important part of the retention equation, but it's not the only one, according to Craig Dresang, CEO of California-based YoloCares.
Healthcare providers need to recognize the need to help business processes run more smoothly, but how leadership implements change may be a more important consideration as far as staff are concerned. There is a gender. Organizational culture is an important retention factor, Doresan noted.
“Achieving operational efficiencies is necessary to run smoothly as an organization, but without providing context and consulting employees, you cannot effect change in any direction,” Dresang says. told Hospice News. “It all comes down to a leadership commitment to learning what’s important and supporting it beyond the education end. It’s about the integrity of the.”
Dresang said the past decade has seen unprecedentedly high levels of turnover for many hospice providers, and the pandemic has exacerbated the workforce crisis.
Cooper Linton, vice president of Duke Homecare & Hospice, said a shift from a cost perspective is needed to move policy forward among hospice leaders. In addition to home care and hospice, the North Carolina-based organization also provides home infusion services.
Linton said turnover costs are often higher than hiring and retention costs.
“Hospices can significantly underestimate turnover costs in terms of dollars, quality of care, and organizational performance,” Linton says. “When we truly understand the costs of separation, we are free to invest in the potentially corrosive and devastating effects of home care and hospice provision. The cost is changing the way care is delivered.”
labor force increases
Dresan noted that investing in fostering a positive, high-performing organizational culture can make a big difference in retention rates.
YoloCares staff voluntary turnover has been below 5% year over year for the past eight consecutive years, Dresang said. He said the number one reason employees stay with an organization is because they feel valued and recognized.
“It took us a while to get to this point, but it's not just because our salaries are competitive or the benefits we offer are important. It's because we focus on culture and… , we're focused on making sure great people feel recognized and valued,” Dresang said. “The key to retention is to support your top talent in every way possible, while focusing on your organizational culture and removing any toxicity. You are only as strong as your weakest link. You Your company culture is your business card, telling new and existing employees how you conduct your business, how you evaluate your staff, and how you deal with mistakes when they happen. We promise.”
You are only as strong as your weakest link. Your company culture is your business card, setting the promise to new and existing employees how you will operate, how you will evaluate your staff, and how you will deal with mistakes when they happen. Masu.
— Craig Dresang, YoloCares CEO
There are beginning to be signs that the hospice workforce is improving. The number of hospice and palliative care workers in the U.S. grew by just 0.8% on average between 2018 and 2023, according to a report from IBIS World.
Many hospices anticipate positive momentum regarding working conditions in 2023, anticipating lower turnover rates associated with investments and initiatives in staffing.
Linton said Duke Home Care & Hospice has seen a dramatic drop in turnover in recent years. He said “massive changes” to staff retention policies have reduced turnover rates by nearly 50% to 80% over the past four years.
The improved retention rate is, in part, the result of increased investment in LEAN business principles, Linton said. He explained that LEAN principles include understanding values, issues and workflows among employees, along with developing process improvement plans that address employee challenges.
Linton said key focus areas of the effort so far include better understanding the impact of staffing workloads. Part of Duke Home Care & Hospice's systemic changes include technology investments in geolocation tracking of staff providing bedside care.
Linton said the technology includes access to microphones for staff to communicate and receive emergency support in unsafe environments and situations. Despite the initial cost, the technology makes a significant contribution in promoting workplace safety and retaining clinical and interdisciplinary staff members, he said.
Duke HomeCare & Hospice conducts a daily census of approximately 2,300 patients. The hospice provider is affiliated with Duke University Health System.
Linton said being part of a large health system and research and academic center means many patients require advanced and complex care. He said an increase in the number of critically ill patients can place a significant burden on staff stress levels, and staff health is central to shaping an organization's recruitment and retention policies.
Linton said ensuring employees feel physically and psychologically safe and supported is essential for retention.
“Some things are more quantifiable, like the cost we spend on employee geolocation technology. We know that cost. Others are really just philosophical in the way we operate. It’s change, and it doesn’t come at a daily cost,” Linton told Hospice News. “We have a disproportionately high hospice population compared to other regions and states. There is an element of feeling deeply hurt and distressed: dedicating one's life to helping patients is demoralizing, and staff face challenges such as social determinants of health such as food, housing, and transportation concerns. You can feel helpless when you can't make a direct impact, which means you're committed to the well-being of your patients and the people who provide their care.”
