HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The healthcare field saw a significant decrease in employment due to COVID-19 and the resulting worker burnout. Huntsville Hospital System is doing all it can to make sure it can serve a growing community but also provided their workers with much needed support. President Tracy Doughty knows that growth plays a big role
"Our community is growing, so our hospital is growing as well," Doughty stated. "About a year ago we opened up a new ortho-spine tower, we're expanding in lab locations, radiology locations, all those things are growing as our community grows and this job fair is another way to help us keep up with the demand."
The health system is holding its largest-ever hiring event on Oct. 19 to meet with candidates for a wide range of clinical as well as non-clinical opportunities within the hospital system, including administration, food service, and clinical aides.
Outside of the city growing, the need for more workers stems from worker burnout as the pandemic took a big toll on the field. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a reduction of 5,100 hospital jobs. The latest numbers indicate a downward trend that seemed to have been halted in prior months, with hospitals gaining jobs in July, August and October.
"So, we have nurses and techs and pharmacists and all sorts of people who switch from day shift to night shift, night shift to day shift," Doughty stated. "They work weekends. they gave up time and missed their kids ball games, all those things to help the hospital take care with community, and for that they should be applauded, but burnout is real, we talk about it pretty much every day, we look for it, we discuss it, we put things in place to make sure people aren't burn out."
And the hospitals have put programs in place to help
"One is recognition to make sure people are recognized for coming in extra and working hard," Doughty stated. "We give incentives for extra shifts, it doesn't prevent burnout, but it does help to get rewarded financially for those extra shifts. We have counseling they can do here on campus and the main thing I think is for us to continue telling our staff thank you."