KANSAS CITY, Mo. — More than 700 health care industry workers are expected to come to Missouri to help relieve staffing shortages amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Mike Parson announced a partnership with Vizient, a national health care performance company, Wednesday during a press conference regarding strained hospital capacity in Missouri.
The partnership will make up to 760 health care employees, ranging from registered nurses to respiratory therapists, available to assist at Missouri hospitals.
“Staffing is one of the biggest challenges facing our hospitals right now,” Parson said, noting that there are “plenty of hospital beds,” but not always enough doctors or nurses to staff them.
41 Action News spoke with numerous metro hospitals about staffing issues, and both Liberty Hospital and Truman Medical Center expressed concerns.
"Even before the pandemic, there was kind of a looming nursing shortage across the country," Dr. Mark Steele, executive chief clinical officer at Truman Medical Center, said.
The problem, according to Steele, has been exacerbated by the pandemic, with nurses opting for early retirement, having to quarantine after testing positive, and hospitals competing for these services.
"There’s a limited workforce out there that has the necessary training," Steele said. "I know there’s been occasional discussions about setting up field hospitals and those kinds of things, but, quiet frankly, I think within our hospitals, we have places to put our patients. We’re going to need staff."
The partnership between Missouri and Vizient is expected to last up to 12 weeks. It could add nearly 600 beds to the statewide capacity, including “some critical care beds,” Parson said.
Recently appropriated federal CARES Act funding will cover the cost through the end of the year with hospital partners paying for the remainder of the contract.
41 Action News contacted the governor's office to find out which hospitals will be eligible to participate in the program but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Parson said during the press conference that since the beginning of the pandemic the state has been in “constant communication” with the Missouri Hospital Association and infectious disease doctors, among other health experts.
The Missouri National Guard and a disaster assistance medical team have both been utilized to assist with staffing challenges, according to the governor.
