How Columbus hospitals are addressing the top patient safety concerns for 2022
Columbus area hospitals say they are well prepared to combat top patient safety concerns identified in a new, national report.
ECRI, a nonprofit, independent research organization, publishes annual reports on patient safety concerns, and identified these top three for 2022: staffing shortages, COVID-19 effects on healthcare workers’ mental health, and bias and racism in hospitals.
None of these were big surprises for local hospitals, who already were working to alleviate these issues.
COVID-19 placed a strain on Piedmont’s resources as an “unprecedented” volume of patients came to the hospital seeking treatment, spokesperson Jessica Roberts told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email, but the hospital has continued to find ways to retain and attract a diverse workforce.
St. Francis-Emory Healthcare also has developed creative recruiting strategies to attract top talent regionally and nationally, spokesperson Grant Farrimond said.
“Our programs have been very successful in attracting and retaining talented individuals for our hospital,” he said.
According to the ECRI report, there was a persistent shortage of clinical and non-clinical staff even before the pandemic. In 2020, the turnover for registered nurses in hospitals was 18.7%, the report reads, and nursing schools are unlikely to be able to supply enough nurses to replace retiring nurses or alleviate existing gaps.
Piedmont Healthcare supports efforts in Congress to rein in the “unsustainable model” hospitals and health systems face as it relates to nurses, Roberts said.
“We are currently paying rates to contract (hiring) agencies that represent an increase of more than 200% over what we were paying to agencies prior to the pandemic,” she said.
However, a large part of that budget is not going into the pockets of front-line nurses who have been integral in weathering the crisis, Roberts said.
The cost increases with contract agencies have made it difficult for Piedmont to keep up the progress the healthcare system made in reducing costs in the years before the pandemic, she said. The healthcare system had driven down the cost of care every year from 2013 to the start of the pandemic, Roberts said.
Keeping healthcare costs down despite the challenges that arose from the pandemic remains a priority for Piedmont as part of their mission to provide affordable, high-quality care to communities, she said.
Protecting employees’ mental health
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of healthcare workers, according to the ECRI report, with the issue being the second-highest concern for patient safety.
According to the report, 29% of physicians were previously diagnosed with or treated for anxiety or depression, and 24% of nurses working in dedicated COVID-19 units reported high levels of emotional exhaustion.
As part of every St. Francis-Emory employee’s benefits package, team members can get counseling sessions at no cost to them, Farrimond said. One of the goals of the system is to promote “the discovery of joy, resiliency, voice and meaning in our work,” he said.
Piedmont has expanded its Wellness program in light of the pandemic and staffing shortages, Roberts said. Employees have access to a wellness, benefits and care navigation platform that offers stress-relieving tools and the ability to coordinate behavioral health and medical needs.
There is now a team devoted to wellness activities and awareness campaigns, along with a quiet space for staff. The system recently began workshops for departments to learn techniques to release stress and challenges, as well as honor their achievements.
Other expansions to the wellness program include a Farmer’s Market, three-minute meditations and virtual stretch and breathing breaks.
The support of the community has helped Piedmont get through the pandemic, Roberts said, with hundreds of meals donated to staff and thousands of masks donated early in the pandemic.
Residents can learn more about ECRI’s Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for 2022 online.
