The Client
A multi-specialty academic and medical center, the client is a nationally recognized hospital system providing quality care to residents throughout Northern Ohio. Founded nearly a century ago, they have been at the forefront of medical innovations, breakthroughs, and life-saving change. Their level of care and success is driven by a dedicated staff of nurses, doctors, specialists and general staff.
The Challenge
A Nursing Shortage Amidst COVID-19 Outbreak
The client experienced an influx of patients during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. To operate at maximum efficiency, hospitals typically do not prepare for an overflow of patients, limiting the supply of unused beds to maintain close to full capacity. However, due to the nature of the pandemic, the client had to prepare for an exceptional rise in hospitalizations that they could not accurately estimate.
To protect staff and patients, as well as to ensure ongoing quality care and continuation of hospital services, the client constructed a field hospital to expand their capacity. This, however, did not solve their staff shortage. There simply was not enough nurses to provide the care necessary to incoming patients. And since Coronaviruses are transmitted through air, risk of cross-contamination with limited staff moving between sectors of the medical center was incredibly high.
The Solution
Robust Staffing Engagement to Quickly Fill Open Nursing Roles
To better position themselves to provide quality care, the client sought a robust staffing solution to meet the growing crisis. The client leaned on their longstanding relationship with Planet Healthcare and tapped the organization to recruit and place qualified medical professionals to augment their hospital staff.
Since the onset of the pandemic, Planet Healthcare has placed 60 Nurses at multiple client sites throughout the Northern Ohio region. Specific roles included ICU, Specialty, ER, Operating Room and Telemetry Nurses. Due to the evolving nature of the situation, quick and efficient placements were critical. Planet Healthcare was able to meet this demand, often filling open requisitions within hours to a few days. At the height of the crisis, the client had eight Planet Healthcare recruiters working on their behalf, finding qualified nurses and other personnel through a combination of MSP and direct-service relationships. While several placements came through job sites, the majority of qualified candidates were placed through referrals and longstanding relationships Planet Healthcare recruiters had cultivated over many years.
The Results
60+ Healthcare Professionals Placed During Time of Crisis
Planet Healthcare played a significant role in aiding the client to secure qualified healthcare professionals at the height of an unprecedented public health crisis. Working closely with the recruiters on their account, the client was able to onboard nurses in an efficient, timely manner. This enabled the staff to quickly get to work and provide quality care to patients throughout their hospital network. Recruiters were seamlessly scaled up and down as needed depending on the current state of the situation.
Additionally, the combination of MSP and direct staffing helped the client to secure enough nurses to minimize risk of cross-contamination with other hospital sectors. Though the field hospital was only operational for a brief period, Planet Healthcare is still providing ongoing support to the client to manage the situation, as well as, support their general staffing needs.
