Gallagher Pulse Surveys Offer Relevant Insights
 

Few things are certain amid the COVID-19 pandemic, except uncertainty.  What does that mean for hospitals, health systems and other healthcare providers?  Healthcare leaders are struggling with the unpredictability of staffing and asking themselves:

• With cancellations of elective surgeries, how do I manage staffing surpluses in non-essential areas?
• How do I staff to meet surge staffing needs?
• Should I place employees on furlough?  Should I use premium or hazard pay?
• Are my peers as concerned about staffing as I am today and will be in the near future?

Peers provide insights

Gallagher’s healthcare pulse surveys are designed to offer relevant peer insights in unprecedented times.

Our first pulse survey report, COVID-19 Healthcare Survey: Staffing provides insights from 164 organizations, of which 77% reported treating current COVID-19 cases.

Concerns Are Real – Whether or Not in a COVID-19 Hot Spot

Seventeen is the percentage point rise in levels of extreme concern reported by all participants when asked “How concerned are you regarding staffing levels right now?  This level is compared to the same question shown below, “…two weeks from now?”  And as expected, those in “hot spots” report the highest level of concern both today and two weeks from today.
 

Health System Staffing Tactics Are Most Heavily Focused on Nursing
 

The percentage of participants employing staffing strategies surveyed to address anticipated nurse staffing needs: hiring new staff (93%), using new graduates (96.7%), calling back retirees (95%), flexing up per diems (96.6%), using agency staff (95%), and reassigning staff from low volume areas (93%).  
 

The percentage of participants employing staffing strategies surveyed to address anticipated respiratory staffing needs: hiring new staff (64%), flexing up per diems (76%), using agency staff (52%), and reassigning staff from low volume areas (52%).   

Healthcare organizations reported similar staffing strategies consistently, regardless of whether or not they were located in a hotspot state.
 

Beyond Staffing -- Keeping Staff Engaged
 

No matter the strategy to secure staffing, keeping staff engaged is critical to an organization’s long-term health.  Gallagher’s engagement research suggests that focusing on resiliency can help organizations “bend the curve” on burn-out and disengagement during times of great organizational stress.   Organizations that focus on both sides of the equation – securing staff and engaging staff –  likely will emerge best prepared to face the future and support organizational wellbeing.
 

Pulse Survey #2, COVID-19 Healthcare Survey: Compensation, Launched April 22
 

Gallagher’s new survey focuses on the compensation topics that participants in the first pulse reported as important.  Pay practice questions include prevalence and amounts of premium pay for different essential positions, changes in pay for non-essential staff, messaging about pay changes, cost saving measures implemented, and other temporary services provided in light of the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., concierge services, meals, child care, or housing).  Click here to participate in this brief survey to receive the full results completely free of charge.  Full results are available only to survey participants.
 

At Gallagher, our goal is to help organizations weather this time and to face the future with confidence. Please contact us with any questions you may have.

800.821.8481
Gallagher HRCC.com

©2020 Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
 

Consulting and insurance brokerage services to be provided by Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. and/or its affiliate Gallagher Benefit Services (Canada) Group Inc. Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. is a licensed insurance agency that does business in California as “Gallagher Benefit Services of California Insurance Services” and in Massachusetts as “Gallagher Benefit Insurance Services.” Neither Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., nor its affiliates provide accounting, legal or tax advice.