It’s dominated headlines for months — New York’s health care industry is struggling to maintain adequate staffing levels in the workforce.
“We simply do not have enough health care workers in our hospitals, in our long-term care facilities, in our ambulances or in the homes of our loved ones,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in her first State of the State address on Wednesday.
The governor pledged to bring financial assistance to health care workers.
What You Need To Know
- New York’s health care industry is struggling to maintain an adequate workforce
- Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a plan to grow the workforce by 20% in five years
- The governor’s plan involves a $4 billion investment in wages and bonuses
“Not just by saying we owe them a debt of gratitude, but actually paying them the debt we owe,” Hochul said.
The governor’s $10 billion plan includes a $4 billion investment in wages and bonuses, including $3,000 retention payments to health care workers.
“I’m setting an ambitious goal to grow our health care workforce by 20 percent over the next five years,” she said.
It was welcome news to health care leaders across the state.
“It’s been a perfect storm,” Iroquois Healthcare Alliance president and CEO Gary Fitzgerald said.
The alliance represents more than 50 hospitals across upstate.
“When we had a shortage before the pandemic, usually our vacancy rates for registered nurses was around 10%,” Fitzgerald said. “With the last data collection last month, we’re up to about 20%.”
In Washington, a separate effort by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand would establish a student loan repayment program.
Fitzgerald said such initiatives are long overdue and will help communities thrive.
“Health care is economic development,” he said. “You’re not going to attract business if the health care system is not in good shape.”
