Newman Regional Health is moving out of COVID-19 pandemic operations in one key way.
For much of the pandemic, the hospital had to rely on contract labor, especially for nurses. Newman Regional Health is now bringing more of its own nurses on board, and CEO Bob Wright couldn’t be more pleased to report that trend.
Retention is also improving for the hospital and the medical field as a whole.
Wright says it could be at least two years before nursing staff numbers are at pre-pandemic levels. Relying on contract labor has been costly, with the hospital paying upwards of $3.5 million annually to contract companies through the pandemic.
Wright says the hospital’s operating budget in June was about $460,000 ahead of budget projections, putting the year-to-date total around $1 million ahead of expectations. ExpressCare and other clinics are busy, and the addition of a new general surgeon and the robotic surgery option are helping revenues.
