Kentucky Hospital Association calls staffing shortages 'critical'

According to a new report by the Kentucky Hospital Association using data compiled last year, 12 percent of hospital jobs in the commonwealth are vacant. Nancy Galvagni, the association’s president and CEO, said there are two key takeaways from the survey.

“Still, we have a very concerning vacancy across all physicians, but particularly for registered nurses. However, there is some good news in the survey in that we are seeing the vacancy rate go down a little bit.”

The report says Kentucky hospitals are short nearly 4,000 registered nurses. Galvagni said hospitals are addressing shortages by increasing pay, implementing flexible work schedules and improving workplace safety. She said the KHA has stepped up outreach efforts.

“We're looking at getting the word out to young people, if they're thinking about a career, what a great career it is. How there's a lot of scholarships, you know, that can pay for education.”

Galvagni said the KHA is working with schools to increase medical class sizes and hire more faculty. The report concludes that the shortage of health care professionals and what they call “soaring staffing costs” could plunge Kentucky into a health care crisis.

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