File #: 24-5841    Version: 1 Name: RESOLUTION TO REDUCE THE COOK COUNTY HEALTH SYSTEM’S RELIANCE ON TEMPORARY STAFFING AGENCIES WHILE PRIORITIZING PERMANENT EMPLOYEES
Type: Resolution Status: In Committee
File created: 10/16/2024 In control: Health & Hospitals Committee
On agenda: 10/24/2024 Final action:
Title: PROPOSED RESOLUTION RESOLUTION TO REDUCE THE COOK COUNTY HEALTH SYSTEM'S RELIANCE ON TEMPORARY STAFFING AGENCIES WHILE PRIORITIZING PERMANENT EMPLOYEES WHEREAS, Nationwide, the U.S. population is increasing, including those aged 65 years and older who are known to visit healthcare providers more frequently; and WHEREAS, healthcare systems face a shortage of healthcare workers, including nurses and specialized doctors, which may jeopardize access to high quality, equitable care; and WHEREAS, according to the American Hospital Association, the United States boasts over 6,000 hospitals, including rural, urban, and government community hospitals, servicing over 900,000 beds throughout the country; and WHEREAS, many hospitals, clinics, and medical centers face a variety of job vacancies, including nurses, respiratory therapists and mental health clinicians; and WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic left a profound toll on the mental and physical well-being of healthcare workers, with man...
Sponsors: BRIDGET DEGNEN, ALMA E. ANAYA, ANTHONY J. QUEZADA, BRIDGET GAINER, DONNA MILLER, STANLEY MOORE, SEAN M. MORRISON, TARA S. STAMPS, MAGGIE TREVOR
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PROPOSED RESOLUTION

RESOLUTION TO REDUCE THE COOK COUNTY HEALTH SYSTEM'S RELIANCE ON TEMPORARY STAFFING AGENCIES WHILE PRIORITIZING PERMANENT EMPLOYEES

WHEREAS, Nationwide, the U.S. population is increasing, including those aged 65 years and older who are known to visit healthcare providers more frequently; and

WHEREAS, healthcare systems face a shortage of healthcare workers, including nurses and specialized doctors, which may jeopardize access to high quality, equitable care; and

WHEREAS, according to the American Hospital Association, the United States boasts over 6,000 hospitals, including rural, urban, and government community hospitals, servicing over 900,000 beds throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, many hospitals, clinics, and medical centers face a variety of job vacancies, including nurses, respiratory therapists and mental health clinicians; and

WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic left a profound toll on the mental and physical well-being of healthcare workers, with many suffering from burnout, stress, and mental health challenges; and

WHEREAS, demand for healthcare services is expected to significantly increase; and

WHEREAS, to address the shortages of medical professionals, many health systems have resorted to the use of staffing agencies to provide temporary personnel to fill vacancies; and

WHEREAS, agency use has a place in healthcare to bridge unpredictable staffing gaps and in large health systems with staffing challenges, but should not be used to maintain a core workforce; and

WHEREAS, staffing agencies providing temporary employees can be a costly alternative to hiring permanent employees, where agency personnel make double or triple-fold the salary of permanent employees; and

WHEREAS, permanent employees often note the burden of onboarding and training new agency personnel unfairly falls to them, negatively affecting relationships between permanent and agency staff and reducing overall workplace morale; and

WHEREAS, the red...

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