Introduction to Rural Hospital Staffing Challenges
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the shortages of doctors and nurses in rural hospitals, with many healthcare workers experiencing burnout and leaving their jobs. Even by rural hospital standards, Keokuk County Hospital and Clinics in southeastern Iowa is small, with a 14-bed hospital and a 24-hour emergency room overseen by two full-time doctors. The hospital’s CEO, Matt Ives, wants to hire a third doctor, but finding physicians for a rural area has been challenging since the pandemic.
The Impact of the Pandemic on Healthcare Workers
The pandemic was difficult for health workers, with many enduring long hours and stresses on the nation’s healthcare system, prompting more workers than usual to quit or retire. According to Joanne Spetz, who directs the Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California-San Francisco, "There’s a chunk of workers that were lost and won’t come back." For those who stuck it out, many have burned out, with some making it through the pandemic only to become exhausted afterward.
The Shortage of Medical Providers
Five years after the World Health Organization declared COVID a global pandemic, the United States faces a crucial shortage of medical providers, below the projected need for an aging population. This could have lasting effects on care, particularly in states like Iowa with significant rural populations. Experts say the problem has been building for a while, but the effects of the pandemic accelerated the shortages by pushing many doctors over the edge into early retirement or other fields.
Keokuk County Hospital has 14 beds, which makes it one of Iowa’s smaller hospitals.
Challenges in Rural Areas
Iowa is experiencing a physician shortage, with the state ranking 44th in the country in terms of patient-to-physician ratio, according to Christina Taylor, president of the Iowa Medical Society. The Association of American Medical Colleges projected that the U.S. faces a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036 if lawmakers don’t invest more money in training doctors. These shortages could push more people to seek care in ERs when they can’t see a local doctor.
Addressing the Shortage
Iowa lawmakers have made addressing the shortage a priority, introducing bills aimed at increasing medical student loan forgiveness and requesting federal help to add residency training slots for medical students in the state. Last year, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law that drops the residency requirement for some doctors who trained abroad to get a medical license. However, hospital CEOs like Todd Patterson of Washington County Hospital and Clinics appreciate the efforts but note that they don’t address immediate shortages.
Nursing Shortages
For nurses, workforce experts say the projected national outlook isn’t as dire as in recent years, with nursing education and employment rates back up. However, getting nurses to move to rural communities will be difficult. Some rural hospitals in Iowa say an even bigger challenge right now is finding nurses to hire. Keokuk County Hospital needs three physicians to staff its emergency room but has just two.
Retaining Healthcare Workers
Policymakers and healthcare organizations can’t focus only on recruiting workers; they must also retain them. Janette Dill at the University of Minnesota notes that workers report feeling that patients have been more disrespectful and challenging since the pandemic, and sometimes workers feel unsafe at work. Research has shown health workers reporting higher levels of burnout and poor mental health since the pandemic, though the risks decreased if workers felt supported by their managers.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the shortages of doctors and nurses in rural hospitals, with many healthcare workers experiencing burnout and leaving their jobs. Addressing these shortages will require a multifaceted approach, including recruiting and retaining healthcare workers, increasing medical student loan forgiveness, and adding residency training slots for medical students. By supporting healthcare workers and addressing the root causes of these shortages, we can ensure that rural communities have access to the care they need.
FAQs
Q: What has been the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural hospitals?
A: The pandemic has exacerbated the shortages of doctors and nurses in rural hospitals, with many healthcare workers experiencing burnout and leaving their jobs.
Q: What is the projected shortage of physicians in the United States?
A: The Association of American Medical Colleges projects that the U.S. faces a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036 if lawmakers don’t invest more money in training doctors.
Q: How can healthcare workers be retained?
A: Retaining healthcare workers requires supporting them, addressing burnout, and ensuring they feel safe at work.
Q: What can be done to address the shortage of healthcare workers in rural areas?
A: Addressing the shortage will require a multifaceted approach, including recruiting and retaining healthcare workers, increasing medical student loan forgiveness, and adding residency training slots for medical students.
