Latest news with #WisconsinHospitalAssociation
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
70% of Wisconsin voters are at least 'Somewhat Concerned' over hospital closures
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – Hospitals are closing all over the state of Wisconsin. In our area alone, the closure of the HSHS/Prevea Hospitals in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls has left a lot of uncertainty. The Healthy Wisconsin Alliance (part of the Wisconsin Hospital Association) wanted to know how deep the concern in the state went. They commissioned a series of questions to be released as part of the Platform Communications' Badger Battlegorund Poll. 500 likely voters were asked questions to gauge concern over the closures, their opinions of hospitals, insurance companies, and if they or someone they love had experienced barriers to receiving care caused by insurance companies. Overwhelmingly, Wisconsites are concerned about the closing of hospitals. 70% of respondents were 'At least somewhat concerned' about additional hospital closures. Additionally, 50% of those concerned said they are most worried about difficulty accessing care. Specifically, in our area of the state, 85% of Eau Claire-area residents were concerned about future hospital closures. 67% of Wisconsinites believe that hospitals would act in their best interest, while only 6% believe insurance companies would do the same. Those numbers represented majorities across all voter demographics. 83% of the Democrats, 55% of the Republicans and 60% of the Independents believe that hospitals have their best interest in mind. Finally, nearly 1 in 3, or 33%, have personal experience with difficulty receiving care due to insurance companies denying coverage. Those numbers are mostly unchanged from the last time this question was polled in August of 2024. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Workforce strain at Wisconsin hospitals as population ages
The Brief Fewers beds and busier emergency rooms. That's what the Wisconsin Hospital Association says is ahead if changes aren't made to grow its workforce. A report released on Monday says the needs of aging Baby Boomers are outpacing the number of people moving into healthcare jobs. One problem that's keeping hospitals extra busy is the delay in getting people out of beds and into nursing homes or assisting living facilties. MILWAUKEE - Wisconsin hospitals will face major challenges in the coming decades if proactive steps are not taken now. That's according to a report released on Monday, March 31 by the Wisconsin Hospital Association. What we know The report says its workforce is not growing quickly enough to keep up with the growing healthcare needs of aging Baby Boomers, or what's refereed to as the "Silver Tsunami." The Wisconsin Hospital Association says it not only needs doctors and nurses, but technicians and facility managers. "That is shrinking the available workforce for any industry, but for healthcare there's an added challenge because, as we age, our healthcare needs increase. So, hospitals are faced with meeting increased demand with a shrinking workforce," said Anne Zenk, Wisconsin Hospital Association. One problem that's keeping hospitals extra busy is the delay in getting people out of beds and into nursing homes or assisted living facilities. "We're seeing patients and their families have to spend days, weeks, or even months in the hospital because they're ready for a nursing home rehab stay or post-acute care and a placement can't be found," said Zenk. The Wisconsin Hospital Association says there simply aren't enough nursing home beds to keep up with the demand. Adding to the problem is a drawn-out process for next of kin, who must become legal guardians for loved ones before they leave the hospital. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News The report asks policymakers and educators to expand pathways to healthcare jobs to encourage new technology and break down regulatory barriers to entering the workforce. "Tens of thousands of individuals across the nation who are qualified applicants are turned away from nursing schools every year and the biggest factor in that is faculty availability and the availability of clinical training sites," said Zenk. The Source The information in this report was provided by the Wisconsin Hospital Association.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wisconsin health care workforce under strain as population ages
A new Wisconsin Hospital Association report finds continued challenges for hospitals seeking health care workers. In this January 2024 photo, an information screen for visitors at Sauk Prairie Hospital displays a recruiting message directed at health care workers. (Photo by Erik Gunn/Wisconsin Examiner) As more Wisconsinites need more hospital care, the supply of health care workers to provide that care remains slim — and to change that outlook will take concerted effort, according to a new report released Monday. 'Wisconsin's health care workforce must grow faster,' says the 2025 Wisconsin Health Care Workforce Report, produced by the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA). 'Health care employers are working hard to retain current employees, re-recruit those who left for what they thought might be greener pastures and attract new talent to health care fields in Wisconsin,' the report states. The report finds some glimmers of improvement and promising pathways for hospitals to further address their need for more trained staff. Over the last two years hospital job vacancies have fallen slightly and employment has increased. But filling jobs remains a challenge and will remain that way for years, the report states. It suggests a combination of strategies to overcome current trends. Some of the strategies involve how hospitals themselves structure jobs and hiring practices. But the report contends other sectors — government, educational institutions, and the insurance companies and government programs that pay the lion's share of health care bills — will also need to shift their policies. Reimbursement rates are not keeping up with increased costs as hospitals and other providers weather rising payroll and supply expenses, for example, the report finds. By far the dominant contributor to the workforce challenges hospitals and health systems face, however, is demographic, according to the report. Wisconsinites continue to get collectively older. 'Only Wisconsin's population over 65 has grown between the 2010 and 2020 census,' said Ann Zenk, senior vice president of workforce and clinical practice for the hospital association. The working-age population ages 18 to 65 decreased in that same period. Those younger than 40 go to the hospital once a year on average. From ages 40 to 65 that ticks up to three times a year. After 65, 'it doubles to six visits a year,' Zenk said. 'As we age, we need more health care,' she said. 'That is going to be a double challenge for hospitals because our available workers are a smaller pool and our demand is even greater.' The population preparing to enter the workforce — people ages 19 and younger — 'is not large enough to replace retiring baby boomers,' the report states. 'Growing the health care workforce needed to respond to this demographic challenge will require increasing in-migration, ensuring access to career pathways and increasing interest in hospital careers.' That starts with giving students in high school or even earlier 'the opportunity to have exposure — you're walking in the shoes of what it's like to be a health care professional,' Zenk said. Then there's the education process itself — 'making sure that educational pathways remain accessible,' Zenk said. The report urges policymakers not to add requirements to training programs that would make them longer, more complex or more expensive. One promising training innovation, said Zenk, is the use of an apprenticeship program to prepare new registered nurses, pioneered in the last few years in Wisconsin by UW Health and the state Department of Workforce Development. While the program stretches over four years for the equivalent of a two-year associate degree, she said, it also allows the participating students to 'earn while you learn.' The concept is being expanded to prepare respiratory therapists. The report also identifies generational shifts in what people expect from their jobs. Zenk said addressing demands for more flexible and family-friendly schedules can make it possible to hire and retain more successfully. But those changes may also mean demand for even more personnel. 'So where you need a roster of 10 nurses, you need 15 now to cover the exact same shift,' Zenk said. The report also sees technology offering some relief. Some of that might be replacing people for tasks such as registering at the front desk for a medical visit, Zenk said. But another example is monitoring equipment that could go home with a patient and be checked remotely, with nurses and clinicians visiting the patient at home every day, she observed. Zenk said some regulations in health care can be reexamined and streamlined without endangering safety or the quality of care. Physician assistants, for example, collaborate with and are overseen by a medical doctor. Zenk said in the past a physician could supervise no more than four PAs. That has since been relaxed, making it less burdensome for both doctor and PA alike, she said. Zenk said another form of regulation has gotten worse, however: When health insurers interpose an increasing number of steps for them to sign off on the care a doctor or hospital provides. 'That requires staff to make those phone calls or enter that data, or requires physicians to document more and more and more to justify the care that they want to provide and that the patient needs,' she said. She's seen insurer-driven requirements increase in the last five years. 'That's a major tug-of-war on clinicians' time,' Zenk said, 'and for patients also very frustrating.' In the end, however, there's no single silver bullet to resolve what is likely to be a persistent challenge for hospitals or their employees. 'There's no one answer. We're more than likely not going to be able to grow ourselves out of this one fast enough,' Zenk said. 'But anything we can do to grow the workforce faster is going to help.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
