Flexestaff News & Events

25,000-worker shortage seen for area's hospitals by 2020

By: Bruce Japsen
Published September 22, 2005

Chicago-area hospitals project that their worker shortages could increase tenfold by 2020, leaving them short as many as 25,000 employees, according to a report released this week.

The Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council issued a 16-page report to spread the word to legislators, the business community and the public that it believes more state money is needed to attract, retain and educate health-care professionals.

The council says a total of $40 million to $50 million is needed during the next five years to "develop new faculty and expand education and training programs." The council said that amount would increase by 50 percent the number of nurses and other health professionals trained by 2010, or 2,400 additional health-care workers trained each year for the next five years, the report says.

"[Our member hospitals'] concern is about their ability to deliver the services when they don't have a workforce supply that is adequate now," said Dr. Larry Haspel, senior vice president of the Healthcare Council. "We're not growing the workforce. We can barely meet the need with 2,500 existing nursing vacancies [in northeast Illinois.]"

In the report, the council flexes political and economic muscle on behalf of its nearly 100 hospital members in the area.

The facilities contributed nearly $2 billion to the economy with capital improvement projects and generated jobs that pay more than $63,000 on average in annual salary and benefits in 2003.

That amount is about $20,000 more a year than the regional salary average, according to the report.

Such reports are being issued more frequently by the council, which in January held a press conference to share results of a study it commissioned showing that in 2003, 99 area hospitals created $24 billion in personal income--including salaries paid to facility employees, jobs that support the hospital and other secondary spending.

Hospitals' efforts to show their importance and lobbying clout come amid the traditional battles in Springfield and Washington for increased payments for services from government insurers, particularly the Medicaid health insurance program for the poor.

The state says it has already taken steps to address health-care worker shortages, and Gov. Rod Blagojevich's office said it isn't ruling out additional incentives.

The council's report acknowledged the governor's efforts, saying $18 million was allocated through the middle of next year. The governor's office also says it has or will be spending in the next year nearly $5 million on promoting and expanding nursing education programs.

"Through financial investments and changes to our laws that improve the environment for health-care workers, we are striving to attract and retain well qualified individuals in direct health-care fields," Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said.

To keep legislative attention focused on the worker shortage, the council is urging state policymakers to create a task force that would include representatives from government, education, hospitals and the private sector to address health-care workforce issues.

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