Maria K Todd, MHA PhD on 2009-05-07T18:46:36.847Z

Hire for Ability, Train for Technique?

Greg Polley, CFO of a hospital in Rural Georgia presented a short talk a few years ago with IRM at their user conference. I was there as a fellow speaker waiting to present my program on contract analysis and payer report cards and was impressed by his on-point, relevant message. It seems that in his rural setting, in Smyrna Georgia, there's no Nordstrom, no fancy school system and few other amenities to attract big city talent to the town. I will bet that this is more the rule than the exception as more hospitals in America are located in rural settings than urban settings..

How many of you in hospital and medical group settings have a problem filling necessary slots with trained workers? Do you hire for ability and train for technique? If so, how to you handle the training?

From what I can see lately, attendance at ACHE, HFMA, HIMSS and MGMA conferences and training seminars is down in all geographic areas. Seminar and travel budgets have been slashed or eliminated. How will the training be accomplished? Who will design the curriculum and inventory the skills sets? Are you using self-paced learning management systems? Onsite training, or one-on-one coaching?

Please share the good, bad and the frightening with us as well as any best practices, tips and resources. Thanks!

Kim Bunker on 2008-12-08T00:33:02.004Z

Hospitals cutting positions.. new opportunity for nurses

Here's a radical but very doable thought. With the economic crunch our typically safe industry is experiencing cuts as well. Support staff positions are being cut. I have not heard nor am I concerned that licensed RN's are next to on the block. I do think that this is a GREAT opportunity for individual practioners to leverage the industry need for our professional benefit (yes I am a capitalist). The need of the organizations is to save money and lower costs. We ( RN's) could suggest that all RN's in an organization be PRN staff, No benefits, no RN employee's would translate to alot of saved dollars. We as the RN's can pick our times, our hours, get benefits on our own and be almost is a consultant capacity for whatever institution. We have the opporutnity to develop the profession to another level by recognizing our inherent value. Of course I recognize the devil is in the details but just start thinking out of the employee box and see what you can negotiate.