New Health Care Workforce Website Promotes Clinical Careers in Virginia, Seeks to Attract Professionals to Work and Live Here

October 31, 2022

On Board Virginia Website is a One-Stop Portal for Information About Health Care Career Opportunities in Virginia that Features an Interactive Job Board for Finding Hospital Jobs, Information about Virginia Hospitals and Communities, and Health Care Educational Programs and Incentives

RICHMOND, VA – In support of strengthening Virginia’s health care delivery system for patients and communities, the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) has launched the On Board Virginia website to attract clinical professionals to pursue their career in the Commonwealth. The On Board Virginia site features information about health care career paths, details about educational opportunities and incentives for students training to become health care professionals, an interactive hospital job board through which applicants can explore open positions across the Commonwealth, information about Virginia hospitals and the distinct features and amenities of communities across the state where people who come to the state for work may choose to plant roots, and video testimonials from current Virginia health care professionals.

For perspective on health care workforce challenges, consider that:

• By 2030, it is projected that 1.2 million new registered nurses will be needed in the U.S. to address existing shortages.
• The number of nurses who indicate they are likely to leave direct patient care has doubled as a result of burnout from COVID-19.
• The national shortage of physicians is projected to be in the range of 37,800 on the low end to 124,000 on the high end by 2034.
• Virginia hospitals are actively recruiting for more than 11,000 posted job openings.

The launch of the new On Board Virginia website and an accompanying digital promotional campaign is focused on reaching health care professionals and encouraging them to come to Virginia where opportunity abounds to grow their careers. It is the result of many months of work by hospital officials and stakeholders on the VHHA Workforce Steering Committee to identify Virginia’s health care workforce needs and develop strategies to boost workforce recruitment and retention efforts.

“The past few years have been especially trying for health care providers, with workforce issues and staff burnout among the challenges we have faced,” said Centra Health President and CEO Amy Carrier, a Co-Chair of the VHHA Workforce Steering Committee and a member of the VHHA Board of Directors. “Having a robust workforce with trained and caring clinicians is pivotal to meet the medical needs of the families and communities we serve, now and in the future. With the launch of On Board Virginia, we are taking action to shore up the health care workforce in the Commonwealth.”

“The hospital community has successfully worked with lawmakers in the Virginia General Assembly and the U.S. Congress to advance health care workforce development policy solutions,” added Carilion Clinic Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Arner, a Co-Chair of the VHHA Workforce Steering Committee and a member of the VHHA Board of Directors. “To complement that ongoing work with our elected leaders, we have joined together to focus our health care workforce outreach and promotion efforts to attract talented professionals and encourage them to establish their careers in Virginia.”

“I am grateful for our strong partnership with the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association to address this unprecedented workforce shortage,” said Janet Wall, CEO of the Virginia Nurses Association. “On Board Virginia is an innovative solution to the complex problem of increasing our nursing workforce. With this new tool, potential recruits will have no question that Virginia is for nurses and all health care workers.”

Health care workforce shortages predate the COVID-19 pandemic but have become magnified across the nation and here in Virginia, where there are more than 11,000 open positions in hospitals and health systems in the Commonwealth. Bringing in supplemental staff in the form of temporary travel clinicians is one way hospitals have attempted to address shortages, leading the average amount of hospital spending on contract labor to more than double from $2.23 million in 2011 to $4.59 million in 2020, according to a Definitive Healthcare analysis. In Virginia, hospitals have experienced a combined 154 percent increase in contract labor costs between Jan. 1, 2021-June 30, 2022. Nationally, shortages of registered nurses (a projected deficit of 200,000-450,000 nurses for direct patient care by 2025), physicians (the Association of American Medical Colleges forecasts a shortage between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians by 2034), pharmacy technicians, and medical assistants, home health aides, and nursing assistants are concerning trends. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that “employment in health care occupations is projected to grow 16 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations, adding about 2.6 million new jobs. Health care occupations are projected to add more jobs than any of the other occupational groups. This projected growth is mainly due to an aging population, leading to greater demand for health care services.”

About VHHA: The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association is an alliance of 110 hospitals and 25 health delivery systems that develops and advocates for sound health care policy in the Commonwealth. Its mission is to achieve excellence in both health care and health to make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. Its vision is through collaboration with members and stakeholders, to ensure the sustainability of Virginia health care system, transform the delivery of care to promote lower costs and high value across the continuum of care, and to improve health for all Virginians. Connect with VHHA through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Julian Walker
Vice President of Communications
(804) 297-3193 office
(804) 304-7402 mobile
jtwalker@vhha.com