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FHA

Growing the Health care Workforce

Overview

Following the pandemic, Florida hospitals and health care systems continue to face critical workforce shortages, exponential growth in  labor costs, and dependency on temporary staffing. The dramatic rise in hospital labor costs—combined with inflation and significant losses in hospital budget reserves from the stock market decline—increases the financial strain on hospitals. Hospitals have seen historically high turnover rates among nurses of over 32%, and based on a 2021 FHA analysis, the state faces an overall shortage of 59,000 nurses by 2035.

The current market requires hospitals to enact extraordinary measures to retain staff and fill vacancies, including salary market adjustments to address the value of labor under current economic conditions. Hospitals are also implementing new policies and procedures to support their health care teams and increase retention, including maximizing the skills of every team member and leveraging technology to reduce administrative burdens.

Hospital Labor Cost Analysis

Florida hospitals and health care systems continue to face critical workforce shortages, exponential growth in their labor costs, and ongoing dependency on temporary staffing.

The dramatic rise in hospital labor costs—combined with inflation and significant losses in hospital budget reserves from the stock market decline—increases the financial strain on hospitals.

Workforce Vacancy Turnover Analysis

This analysis presents data on hospital workforce staffing issues, such as vacancy and turnover rates.

Workplace Violence

Violence against hospital employees is becoming more frequent and severe. Enhanced penalties already exist for emergency department employees, and FHA supports expanding these penalties to violence against any hospital employee.

Nurse Pipeline Funding

During the last legislative session, FHA helped to secure $125 million in new state funding for nursing education.

Part of these funds also create incentives for collaboration between nursing education programs and health care partners to meet changing workforce demands.

Workplace Violence Issue Brief

Individuals working in hospitals and health systems experience violence in the workplace in various ways, including harassment (physical and psychological), threats, intimidation, humiliation, shootings and other acts of violence, assault, and bullying. Incidents of violence in health care settings increased during the pandemic. Stronger criminal penalties are needed to send a clear message that violence against health care workers will not be tolerated.

Pipeline & Line Funding

$125 million in nursing education programs for the 2022-2023 state fiscal year for two programs: Prepping Institutions, Programs, Employers, and Learners through Incentives for Nursing Education (PIPELINE) and Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) programs. These programs focus on addressing the growing workforce demand the state is facing.

HRSA Workforce Funding

$15 million in Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant funds to grow the nursing workforce, improve access to nursing education, and advance health equity. The grant funding includes $10 million for Clinical Faculty and Preceptor Academies Program and $4.75 million for over three years for a Registered Nurse Training Program.

Hometown Hero Housing Program

The Florida Legislature awarded The Florida Housing Finance Corporation $100 million for the 2022-2023 state fiscal year to establish the Hometown Heroes Housing program. The is a zero-interest loan program that provides upfront payment for a down payment and closing costs to assist health care professionals with homeownership.

Allied Health Professionals

Allied health professionals are a diverse group of health care workers who provide necessary services to patients in addition to services provided by physicians and nurses. Allied health professionals comprises nearly 60% of the heath care workforce. People working in these roles may perform diverse responsibilities from laboratory testing, interact with patients, provide emergency medicine, or administrative work. They may also promote wellness and preventative medical practices.

Medicaid GME

Increasing funding for Graduate Medical Education (GME) is one avenue to address the physician shortage in Florida, currently projected to be 36,000 by 2035. Where a physician trains is highly predictive of where he or she practices, making residency training particularly important for a sufficient physician supply. FHA is committed to supporting sufficient and reliable GME funding to meet the demand of the growing and aging population.

Medicare GME One-Pager

Florida’s Challenge: The number of Medicare funded training slots has been capped - limiting a key tool for physician recruitment and growth. Read more.

Nurse Licensure Issue Brief

The Florida Board of Nursing (Board) licenses, monitors, educates, and disciplines licensees to assure their fitness and competence in providing health care services in the state. The Florida Hospital Association (FHA) advocates for resources and policies that support an adequate, knowledgeable, competent, and healthy nursing workforce.

Licensed Practical Nurse Scope of Practice Issue Brief

With a severe nursing shortage, states are exploring new avenues to increase the number of nurses and retain their workforce. Allowing licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to perform optimally within their scope of practice may help address staffing challenges in the healthcare setting to meet the demand for care.

Military Medics

Florida has one of the largest populations of military veterans and their spouses in the nation. More than 1.5 million veterans call Florida home.   FHA supports helping military medics transition to the civilian health care workforce. Specifically, FHA supports pathways and programs for retired military medics so they can more easily transition to the civilian health care workforce with the needed qualifications and competencies.

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