The Struggles of Post-Pandemic Staffing from the Blog

Recruiting before the pandemic was enough of a struggle. Now? It’s even more difficult, which has put a strain on staffing in ASCs nationwide. From recruiting to hiring and even retaining staff, ASCs are seeing this post-pandemic slump wreak havoc on their establishment. Labor shortages have been reported across the nation as employers compete with child care responsibilities, health concerns, and even unemployment benefits.

Outpatient surgery centers have re-opened their doors and are seeing case numbers return to - or even exceed - pre-pandemic numbers; all the while, these facilities are struggling to staff their back office in order to keep up with the demand placed on the billing office. As we connect with surgery centers from coast to coast, we are seeing patterns of insurance verifications, patient estimates and A/R follow-up getting less attention, which has an ENORMOUS impact on revenue. 

The overwhelm of hiring is real, and it may be taking its toll. Before you get too stressed, take a look at our top 2 tips for finding and retaining talent within your ASC.

TIP 1  |  UTILIZE ALL YOUR RESOURCES FOR RECRUITING

Your recruiting efforts should expand outside your traditional job postings; take to your company social media pages to market your openings and encourage your staff to share the posts to expand your exposure. Don’t wait for the candidates to come to you - send your job listing to potential candidates that could be a good fit for your establishment.

Your best resource? Your team! Encouraging internal referrals is an incredible tool that can bring some of your top players in the door. You hired your team for a reason - their skill - and you’ve kept them around for their abilities and the trust you have established. So who better to trust with referring potential candidates than those who have proven themselves within your staff?

TIP 2  |  ESTABLISH AN EFFECTIVE ONBOARDING PROCESS

Ensure no stone goes unturned during onboarding, and every area necessary is covered properly. When you are short staffed and stressed, training tends to take a hit with new employees not receiving effective training to do their role with confidence; this results in discomfort in their role, and often, higher turnover. To increase employee retention, dedicate the time to their training and don’t rush it! The time you put into getting them on their feet and comfortable in their position will pay off when your employee is confident in their choices, and understands the entirety of their role with minimal guidance or assistance needed.

Are you all set with great talent, but not sure where to improve your onboarding? Don't worry, we're here to help! Listen below as I share my tips for implementing a successful onboarding strategy within your ASC:

We know - this can sound like a lot. You don’t have 5 minutes to spare toward recruiting, let alone hours to dedicate to onboarding. This is where in2itive comes in. Our company brings a number of creative, world-class solutions to the table to assist ASCs in addressing this temporary economic environment. From full revenue cycle management to A/R clean-up, coding and more, in2itive Business Solutions is ready to step in and provide the temporary aid your center needs until hiring isn’t such treacherous terrain to navigate.

We are excited to offer shorter-term agreements in conjunction with á la carte services to best support ASCs across the nation; centers may retain existing staff while receiving support from in2itive in the positions they are unable to fill - what a win!

Working with a management company? Don’t worry, we can help! ASCs are often surprised to hear that we are in fact already working with centers under their management company’s umbrella. Don’t hesitate to check with us if yours is already a client!

Whether you’re just curious or ready to get started, reach out to our team today and hear how in2itive can take away your revenue cycle headaches. Don’t forget the cup of coffee, on us! You can contact us by phone at (913)558-5138 or email at sales@in2itive.org.