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No void felt at MCH despite increase in staff vacanciesDec 09, 2012 (Odessa American - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- As Odessa's population grows, so too does its need for more health care providers. Medical Center Hospital is the second largest employer in Ector County, boasting a payroll of 1,687 employees, according to a November list by the Odessa Chamber of Commerce. As of Friday, MCH has 168 job vacancies, around 70 of which are for registered nurses, found on the hospital's career opportunities website. MCH Human Resources Director Robbi Banks said the hospital currently has around a 7 percent vacancy rate, which is just slightly above normal than past vacancy rates. The above normal rate of job openings is due primarily to Odessa's booming economy, Banks said. "Any time we have a booming economy we see an increase in positions available," Banks said. "In 2008, we had less positions open and that was due to our local (non-boom) economy." During boom times, MCH experiences a fluctuating staff when employees leave for a higher-paying job in an oil-related job or work less hours because their spouse has a higher income, Banks said. But the rise of the number of job openings can also be credited to the growth of the hospital, which parallels its increasing patient base, Banks said. "We add positions as we grow," Banks confirmed. Indeed, the health care sector is one of the fastest growing industries in Texas. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, the education and health services industry grew more than any other industry in October, adding 13,700 jobs statewide. The education and health services industry has an annual growth rate of 3 percent or higher, according to the TWC. Nationally, the health care and social assistance sector had 5.4 percent unemployment, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Banks said like many other employers, MCH has had some difficulty in recruiting out-of-town applicants due to the housing market in the Odessa-Midland area. In the Odessa Chamber's 2012 apartment survey, the occupancy rate was 98 percent. The hospital has been working with some apartment complexes and renting apartments which are rolled over to out-of-town recruits to rent, Banks said. High rents have also been a deterrent, Banks said. "You can no longer say it's cheaper to live in Odessa and Midland than Dallas," Banks said. "We're trying to find some of the older apartment complexes that have done renovations so it's more affordable." But unlike other employers competing with the Permian Basin oil and gas industry, MCH has the ability to recruit directly from local universities and colleges. "We have students from Texas Tech (Health Sciences Center), Midland College, Odessa College and Howard College and are able to recruit effectively from those," 8 Central Unit Director Leisha Sanchez said. "We don't have an issue recruiting to the hospital." As a teaching hospital, Medical Center also trains students while they are in school, further filling any voids left from open staff positions, said Sanchez, who has been at MCH for nearly 21 years. Banks added that MCH has a nearly 100 percent retention rate for its RN interns. "When you have nursing students there, that also helps. They do supplement (full-time staff)," Sanchez said. "They're training and they're also helping the nurses and learning." After earning her master's degree, Mary Grace Longno decided to spend time training at MCH before starting in the physician assistant program at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center. For three months, Longno has worked as a member of MCH's new Transfer Mobility Team, which repositions bedridden patients to prevent the development of pressure ulcers. "I needed to do something for a good year or so. I wanted to do something more meaningful that would get me involved with direct patient care contact," Longno said. "Just seeing how the hospital works has helped hone my skills and abilities for when I'm ready for P.A. school." While she works full-time for MCH, Longno's colleagues on the mobility team are mostly nursing students who train as part of their course work. After graduation, Longno said many of the students are choosing to stay and work at the hospital. "(The mobility team) is geared toward nursing students, but they're trying to reach out to all health care professionals," Longno said. "It's a great learning environment. It's been a great way to interact with patients and build relationships with all the medical staff." In addition to the student staff, Sanchez said the hospital also draws from its flex pool staff if full-time nurses are overwhelmed. Flex pool is a reserve of RNs who are able to work part time when needed, Sanchez said. "We really try to focus on using the resources that we have," Sanchez said. "We have flexible scheduling so that we are not understaffed." Contact Lyxan Toledanes on twitter @OAcitylife, on Facebook at OA Lyxan Toledanes, or call 432-333-7786. ___ (c)2012 the Odessa American (Odessa, Texas) Visit the Odessa American (Odessa, Texas) at www.oaoa.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |