Healthcare worker shortages remain challenging three years after pandemic began

Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, the healthcare field in Ohio and across the country continues to be challenged by worker shortages, which threaten the quality of care (Source: “3 years since COVID got here, health care remains changed,” Dayton Daily News, March 12).

Even prior to the pandemic, shortages of medical staff were linked to the quality of patient of care, medical errors and increased risks of dying, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

In response to the shortage, Ohio hospitals are working to address employee burnout, attract new talent and fill gaps by other means, including innovation with telehealth options. The American Hospital Association said their members also contract with outside agencies to fill gaps, but they say prices with those agencies have risen dramatically from what they were prior to the pandemic.