Health

Is the American Healthcare System Near a Labor Crisis?

Healthcare

With advancements in healthcare leading to longer lifespans, medical personnel have to deal with a surge in the number of patients. Although healthcare workers are committed to providing the best care for patients, the current backlog of patients may be more than they can handle. According to current research, there could be a shortage of as much as 104,900 medical staff members by 2030.

Is Healthcare Experiencing a Labor Crisis?

According to College America, the healthcare industry is an increasingly fast-growing job industry in the United States and is in high demand for qualified, hard-working, and caring individuals to join the workforce. Healthcare workers today have their pick from any number of well-paying clinics or practices. But despite this, the situation on the ground shows that we are heading toward a labor crisis. Currently, a large number of nurses and physicians belong to the baby boomer generation. Within the next few years, most of these workers will retire and leave the healthcare industry with fewer employees.

Below are other factors that suggest we are heading toward a labor crisis.

Training Duration

The situation is likely to grow worse since training in health professions takes a significant amount of time. For a person to become a registered nurse, he or she has to work and study for two or more years, while studying to become a doctor or surgeon takes more than nine years, and is incredibly stressful. And to top it off, many healthcare professionals need to invest significant amounts of money into their training and career. Even after school, they need to pay for certifications. For doctors, they will need to oversee not only malpractice insurance, but specific disability insurance for their specialization. It can be overwhelming for many individuals. Unresolved issues exist in our current training of medical professionals. This means it will take some time to replace the retiring nurses and doctors.

State Laws

We should also not forget the fact that healthcare is governed by different state laws. Even if a doctor wanted to go help in another state, he or she would have to check that his or her license would work with a certain regional accreditation. Some states require physicians to be accredited internally before they can practice. This scenario also contributes to the current shortage of healthcare workers because the mobility of physicians is limited.

Turnover Rates

Another factor that shows healthcare is heading for a labor crisis is the high turnover rate, which is higher than other industries. Many healthcare professionals are quitting their jobs at big hospitals and going into the consultation business. Others are just enticed by better offers from other hospitals. An insanely high demand for healthcare workers exists in the United States, and it doesn’t look like the situation is going to ameliorate.

Conclusion

We are on our way to a labor crisis in the healthcare industry. Physicians and nurses are demanding better salaries to compensate them for the increased workload. Going to medical school is becoming more expensive, and few can afford the fees, limiting the number of doctors in training.

If you want to read more related content, be sure to check out similar articles here!

Dr. Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Pop-Up Sermon: Stop Crippling People
Stressful Practices

(Photo Credit: Odyssey)

Although a true commitment to helping people is commendable, don’t become their crutch—don’t cripple them. At some point, you have to allow them to do things on their own. Yes, show them how it’s done, and then leave them to demonstrate that they want to put your teaching into practice. If you fail to end an unhealthy practice of attempting to solve everyone’s problems, or fail to discontinue doing everything they don’t want to or cannot do, then you’re placing yourself on a path to experiencing serious mental health issues (if you don’t already have them).

When will people ever grow if you never give them an opportunity?

Without a change of these toxic practices, people will take advantage of you—and you may never recognize it. You will inevitably destroy your body by trying to be a Superman or Superwoman for everyone. Let me take a moment to unsettle you: you’re really not a Superman or Superwoman—you’re really a “do-boy” or “do-girl,” meaning you’re getting used, hoodwinked, bamboozled.

Ameliorate the quality of your life by teaching people how to execute tasks, and then let them do the work. Learn to be more than a crutch for others.

#PopUpSermon

Dr. Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Fridays with Dr. Glass: Health Concerns and the Sweets Industry
Woman Eating Chocolate

(Photo Credit: The Guardian)

When consuming sweets, it’s important for you to exercise moderation. If you make the choice to constantly overindulge in sweets, leading to excess levels of sugar in your body, you have no one to blame but yourself. While most of us love sweets, we all have a responsibility to consume them wisely. Today, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Santresa L. Glass, a successful small business owner in the sweets industry and a small business and social media expert, about health concerns associated with sweets and how she works to mitigate those concerns in her own praxis. Dr. Glass also divulges Valentine’s Day specials Magnolia’s Sweet Haven, LLC is offering, so you should certainly check out those specials to experience what “Pampering Your Sweet Tooth” really is about—without depleting your bank account.

In what ways, if any, do you attempt to make your sweets as healthy as possible?

One of the main things that I and my interns strive for and execute is using fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients. There is a massive difference in the taste of baked confections when using the best and most readily available ingredients. We do not offer any sugar-free desserts, but always encourage our clients to indulge in moderation with our addictive confections.

What is your response to those who say it is those in the sweets industry who are helping to make us an increasingly unhealthy nation?

You cannot blame an entire industry for the nation’s problems with obesity. As with delicious savory dishes, one must consume sweets and desserts with limits. I believe in using good, unsalted sweet cream butter and advocate celebrating life with something sweet; perhaps cheesecake, in moderation.

What special plans does Magnolia’s Sweet Haven, LLC have for Valentine’s Day?

Magnolia’s Sweet Haven is running Valentine’s Day specials for the Savannah/Hilton Head areas. “Pampering Your Sweet Tooth” is something that we delight in doing year-round with mini-cheesecakes, chocolate-covered strawberries, wine-infused and traditional flavored cupcakes as well as dessert tables and candy buffets.

Connect with Magnolia’s Sweet Haven, LLC:

Website: www.pamperedsweettooth.com

Email: msweeethaven@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/magnoliasssweethaven

Instagram: instagram.com/magnoliassweethaven

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison