Viera, Fla. — Hospital leaders joined the Florida Hospital Association (FHA) today for its 2024 Workforce Summit to highlight the top trends and strategies in workforce recruitment and retention. The one-day summit aimed to reenergize health care workforce development efforts across Florida, providing hospital leaders with innovative solutions to meet the health care needs of Floridians now and in the future.
Summit participants gained insight from state and national leaders on the future of the health care workforce, workforce quality metrics, workplace safety strategies and artificial intelligence to reshape health care roles and engaged in forward-thinking discussions on Florida hospitals' pressing workforce challenges and the emerging technologies available to tackle them. The event highlighted practical solutions and equipped hospital leaders with the tools and knowledge to help their hospitals thrive in today’s ever-evolving health care sector, while also planning for the future of health care.
“At the Florida Hospital Association, we know that a robust health care workforce makes care more accessible to the patients that Florida hospitals serve as the Sunshine State’s population continues to grow,” said Mary C. Mayhew, President and CEO of FHA. “I’m encouraged by the progress we’re making in closing the health care workforce gap and recognize that we must continue implementing innovative solutions to address today’s workforce challenges. FHA’s Workforce Summit strives to strengthen hospitals’ workforce development and retention efforts.”
“As hospital leaders, we must continually adapt our strategies to effectively train, support and retain health care professionals who care for Florida residents and visitors,” said Matthew Love, Chairman of FHA’s Workforce Committee and President and CEO of Nicklaus Children’s Health System. “The collaborative, actionable insights shared among health care experts at FHA’s Workforce Summit will help strengthen our collective efforts and continue building a more resilient health care workforce in the months and years ahead.”
The Workforce Summit featured keynote speaker Robyn Begley, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer of Workforce at the American Hospital Association. A nationally recognized nursing and workforce development leader, Begley offered a valuable perspective on what hospitals are doing right in supporting the health care workforce and the future of health care workforce management.
“The strength of our health care system lies in the hands of our health care workforce, so we must continue to support and invest in them,” said Begley. “By utilizing forums like the workforce summit, FHA and Florida’s hospital leaders can support doctors, nurses and allied professionals in their efforts today to continue to meet tomorrow's health care needs.”
In addition to Begley, the Workforce Summit featured other leading voices in health care who discussed the importance of a strong health care workforce and the resources and strategies for developing and retaining dedicated health care professionals. Bill Marcisz, JD, CPP CHPA, President and Chief Consultant of Strategic Security Management Consulting, offered insights on expanding security management strategies to keep employees safe from workplace violence. Stefanie Simmons, MD, Chief Medical Officer at the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, drew on her extensive experience in improving operations to discuss strategies for addressing the well-being of health care workers. Logan Frank, CEO of Meda Health, offered guidance on how artificial intelligence can shape health care professionals' roles to enhance their value and sustainability.
Additional highlights from the conference include:
Harnessing AI: Exploring how health care can leverage artificial intelligence to reshape health care professional roles and enhance hospital efficiencies.
Sharing Innovations in Onboarding and Retention: Unveiling new strategies to onboard and retain talent in the health care sector successfully.
Bolstering Workplace Safety: Highlighting effective safety strategies and real-world examples of protecting staff and patients and securing a safe environment across Florida’s hospitals.
Strengthening the Workforce Pipeline: Discussing partnership opportunities to strengthen the health care workforce pipeline.
For more information about the Florida Hospital Association and its workforce development initiatives, visit www.FHA.org.
ABOUT FHA
Founded in 1927, the Florida Hospital Association (FHA) is the leading voice for health care in the State of Florida. Through representation and advocacy, education and informational services, the Florida Hospital Association supports the mission of over 200 hospitals and health care systems to provide the highest quality of care to the patients we serve. Led by President and CEO Mary Mayhew, the Florida Hospital Association is located in Tallahassee and is governed by a Board of Trustees and officers elected by the member institutions.
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