A hospital’s most valuable resource is its people. Access to a well-trained staff, including physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals, is essential to providing compassionate and quality hospital care across Oklahoma. Workforce shortages existed well before the pandemic, but the past three years have strained hospital resources like never before. Of the nearly 300 individually identified allied health professions, critical shortages can be found among almost all of them in Oklahoma. These shortages are compounded in rural areas.
In addition, burnout and fatigue have plagued the frontlines of healthcare. A multi-layered approach to reducing burnout and improving clinician wellbeing is needed.