5 Ways Enhanced Behavioral Health Operational Expertise Benefits Recruitment and Retention

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already-existing shortage of healthcare workers, and as a result, many health systems are struggling to keep up with COVID-19 patient surges as well as patients experiencing behavioral health illnesses brought on by the pandemic. More specifically, a recent survey of 150 health systems reported that around 40% are accelerating their hiring processes to keep up with demand.¹

However, hiring staff alone will not solve hospital challenges around employee engagement, efficiency and increasing turnover rates. The past year has highlighted the need for additional resources, support and provider expertise in order to efficiently identify, hire and retain top healthcare talent. A program is only as good as its team; having the right resources in place impacts the entire program’s performance. To best achieve clinical excellence, health systems often partner with industry experts to help them navigate the many complexities of behavioral health operations, including recruitment and retention.

Discover five benefits of behavioral health partnership that can help a hospital develop and retain top talent - ultimately benefiting patient outcomes, facility operations and employee satisfaction.

A Partnership can help your hospital:  

1. Gain access to a national behavioral health database and resources focused on behavioral health program optimization. With the rapidly growing medically complex patient population, the demand for resources has never been so high.  Having a team of local and national experts focused on the latest behavioral health trends, quality data and best practices, enables hospital leadership to focus on their core acute services and relieves the burden of running a behavioral health program. Further, through dedicated expertise, programs can be optimized to achieve operational excellence and efficiency. In addition, staff can be equipped with the latest techniques and resources to help them be more successful in their role – and ultimately more satisfied in their position.
2. Identify and recruit specialized behavioral health resources. An experienced behavioral health partner will not only be skilled in operations and clinical excellence, but also at identifying top talent by leveraging a team focused on recruiting that has both local and national reach. Experienced recruiters are able to efficiently and effectively locate, hire and retain talent that matches the culture of the hospital and the specific patient needs of the community. Having a fully staffed behavioral health team also gets patients to the right care faster and relieves over-crowding in the emergency department (ED). All leading to better outcomes, patient satisfaction and lower burnout of ED providers.  
3. Provide best-in-class employee training and continuing education. Providing the latest educational resources for employees to excel within their role, not only leads to better outcomes, but also helps to improve employee satisfaction and retention. A dedicated behavioral health partner has established programs for continuing education and employee development that can help the hospital stand out from other employers in the community.
4. Live out its mission and values through a positive culture. Nothing is more paramount than the mission and values of the hospital. It is the underlying DNA that brings the entire organization together to serve the community and achieve the best possible outcomes. An experienced behavioral health partner will respect the hospital’s unique culture and mission, and will partner with the hospital to further that mission in the community.
5. A reputation of excellence. Top talent want to work for top organizations. An experienced behavioral health partner brings operational and clinical excellence that can help the program be known throughout the region – by both patients and healthcare professionals. The additional resources and best practices also allows for greater efficiency – leading to less burnout and more flexibility – key drivers of employee satisfaction.

Now more than ever, employee engagement and satisfaction is critical to overall program performance and the hospital’s ability to meet the needs of the community. By partnering with a behavioral health expert, hospitals can help optimize hospital operations as a whole and provide superior outcomes.

To learn how Lifepoint Behavioral Health helps contract management and joint-venture partners optimize their programs through focused employee engagement expertise, visit our website.

References:

1. Person. (2021, September 8). Is the nursing shortage now a 'national crisis'? Advisory Board. Retrieved September 21, 2021, from https://www.advisory.com/Daily-Briefing/2021/09/08/staff-shortages.