245: Headcount might not explain your labor challenges. What will?

It feels like only yesterday that workforce challenges were the biggest problem facing the healthcare industry. While COVID-19-related staffing shortages may have declined, an inefficient workforce can still threaten health system operations and finances. Often, systems turn to staffing ratios or benchmarks to determine whether they need more cuts or more hires. However, systems need more than staffing ratios to make sure they have the right headcount and the right expertise in place to safely and effectively care for patients. The question is: if workforce benchmarks aren’t enough, then what is? To answer that question, host Rachel (Rae) Woods invites Advisory Board nursing expert Ali Knight to unpack the state of the workforce five years after the peak of COVID-19. Later, Rae brings on Optum Advisory workforce management experts Sherilynn Quist and Anne Schmidt to break down their work in the field, addressing what they call the “blocking and tackling” of workforce efficiency within a hospital. Links: Optum Advisory: Healthcare consulting services [Webinar, May 18] Broaden your definition of the nursing care team Insights from Advisory Board's 2024 workforce benchmarks [Roundtable, Aug. 18-19] How to thrive in an evolving nursing landscape Ep. 205: Live from ViVE 2024: Four leaders on how technology is redefining clinical work Ep. 207: Nurses Week 2024: Build care teams, not assembly lines 2025 Advisory Board Summit - Carlsbad, CA Advisory Board Fellowship Advisory Board is a subsidiary of Optum. All Advisory Board research, expert perspectives, and recommendations remain independent. A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.