Three In Four Hospitals Hired Temp ‘Allied Health Professionals’ Ahead Of Omicron Surge

Three in four hospitals are seeking to hire temporary allied health professionals from respiratory and occupational therapists to laboratory and radiology technicians, according to a new report.

The large healthcare staffing company AMN Healthcare said 75% of hospitals and other healthcare facilities are seeking these “temporary allied healthcare professionals” largely to fill gaps in the healthcare system caused by a shortage of permanent healthcare workers.

The survey of 159 hospitals, conducted in August and September prior to the recent surge of Covid-19 cases and before the Omicron variant began its U.S. surge earlier this month, is the latest to document a major healthcare worker shortage.

But AMN Healthcare, best known for its physician and nurse staffing reports, said this is the first time it has surveyed hospitals, medical groups and other healthcare facilities about “temporary allied healthcare professional staffing trends.” The survey opens a window into other areas of healthcare staffing that are problematic during the pandemic beyond the shortage of nurses and physicians, analysts say.

“The same pattern of labor shortages prevalent in nursing and medicine now are affecting the allied healthcare professions,” AMN Healthcare divisional president Robin Johnson said.

Of those hospitals and health facilities that have used temporary allied healthcare professionals to supplement existing staff in the last year, 26% used respiratory therapists, which were the most in-demand among allied healthcare professionals. They were followed closely by laboratory technologists who were needed by 25% of health facilities in need of temporary allied health professionals.

“High demand for respiratory therapists is likely driven by Covid-19, which has caused or exacerbated respiratory problems for many patients,” the report said.