The Rural Perspective: Wisconsin Hospitals Share Workforce Solutions.

Abstract

Summary The healthcare workforce crisis is daunting, and there are no quick fixes. However, intentional actions—taken one step at a time and skillfully led—can keep healthcare organizations moving forward to face the challenge. Six members of the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, a 45-hospital collaborative network, are taking a strategic approach to meet the crisis head-on. This article shares their best ideas, along with supporting leadership tips, to address three questions:1. How do you retain the employees you want to keep? They have options, and they are choosing the options that are best for them.2. What can be done to enhance recruitment efforts and attract new employees? This is of particular importance with regard to frontline technical roles in competitive rural job markets.3. What do innovative partnerships with those who prepare the healthcare workforce look like? Organizations need to build career ladders for today and into the future.