Recruitment and retention are perhaps more important for employers than ever, and Newman Regional Health says it is making strides in both categories.
Following the January Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday, CEO Bob Wright said nursing retention is doing well — especially after a few simple tweaks in the onboarding process.
A positive byproduct is the reduction in contract labor, which had to be used heavily in 2020 and 2021 during COVID-19 at a significant cost to the hospital. Wright has said Newman Regional Health paid upwards of $3.5 million per year to contract companies during the pandemic’s peak.
The hospital has also finalized a contract with a new orthopedic surgeon and is finalizing another agreement with a second orthopedic surgeon. Agreements are also in place with two cardiac surgeons, with conversations underway for a third.
Financially, the hospital ended December with almost $450,000 in net income, which was favorable to the budget by over $1 million. The year-to-date loss was almost $1.5 million — which was favorable to budget by over $4.6 million.
Looking ahead to 2023, Newman Regional Health is working towards hosting its own phone system after sharing the city-county system for several years. Wright also says there will be several notable equipment replacement projects in areas like radiology and the main lab.
