Hospital staffing affected by initial troop call-ups
Provide care for families left behind
During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the massive call-up of local troops and National Guard units in the Tacoma, WA, area created huge problems for Multicare Health System. "We lost people all the way up to the level of vice presidents," recalls Todd Kelley, a spokesman for the three-hospital system. "Even then, though, when there was a palpable shortage in some areas, we were able to fill in the gaps. And fortunately, it didn’t turn into a long-term situation. Everyone was back inside six months, and some even sooner."
So far in the war in Iraq and the current tensions surrounding North Korea, the impact for Multicare facilities has been minimal, says Kelley. "But it is a situation that is very difficult to plan for. Someone who is here right now could get their activation call at 4 this afternoon and ship out within the week. Others who may be at risk for call-ups never get activated. It is really hit and miss."
That makes planning difficult, Kelley continues. "If we lose multiple staff to a deployment, ramping up recruitment won’t help because the entire local area will be affected and staff will not be available to any of us," he says. Adjustments would likely occur simply by asking staff to pick up extra shifts and using agency and traveling staff.
The Cape Fear Valley Health System in Fayetteville, NC, started planning for the eventual call-up of troops back in June, says Terry Stefanski, personnel services coordinator for the system, which covers an area that includes the Fort Bragg Army base and Pope Air Force Base. "There was an increase in comings and goings at the bases, so we started looking at how we could fill the gaps that would occur."
Most of that consists of reaching out to employees and helping them prepare emotionally and financially for the eventual deployment, she says. "We direct them to the right places for assistance; we attend meetings on the bases and collect information for them. We even have question-and-answer books for employees."
The system also tries to keep the entire staff informed about resources available at the hospital, in the community, and at the bases through work e-mails and paycheck inserts, says Stefanski. For instance, over Christmas, families were told when Santa was on base for the kids and how to send tapes to soldiers for free.
Meeting special needs in a military town
So far, says Stefanski’s colleague Charles Stuard, director of women’s and children’s services at the system, they haven’t lost as many people as they feared they would — although he admits it is still early in the deployment process. The limited loss of staff is something Stuard credits to the system’s program of being there for staff in a time of need. "Everything we do is designed to help keep the staff we have happy and here," he explains. "In military towns, when a soldier is deployed, if you can’t make it work for the spouse, he or she may pack up and move back to be with the family. What we try to do is help them see there is a family here for them that can help them with issues as they arise and guide them toward the information they need to make it work."
Money can be a big issue for National Guard families. Military pay is disbursed monthly, and it may lag behind the actual activation by some weeks. At Multicare, Kelley says deployed employees can cash out annual leave or get early paychecks for their families. Health insurance is also continued through the end of the month of the deployment, and COBRA insurance is available for the family.
Child care can be another big issue, particularly when a nonemployed spouse is called up for Guard duty. There also are cases where soldiers handled night duty with the kids so the spouse could work night shifts at the hospital, says Stefanski. "Scheduling is the biggest issue," she says. "Sometimes the deployed soldier picked up kids from school or day-care centers; sometimes they provided the actual care for dependent children." As a result, scheduling options have multiplied, Stefanski says. Workers may still pull 12-hour shifts, but instead of working from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., they come in from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Some staff members even have been moved to other departments to make it easier for them to keep working and take care of their families. The changes are made on a case-by-case basis and are unlikely to be maintained once the deployments end.
Because nearly everyone in the Fort Bragg-area community is affected — about half the staff at Cape Fear Valley Health System have military ties in some way, and about 30% have a spouse who is a member of the military — staff members who can step up and help colleagues in need are usually very willing to do so. "They know why we are making unique exceptions with scheduling," says Stuard.
The Cape Fear Valley health system also has worked with day-care centers in the area to find out what care options are available, which centers pick up from area schools, and which ones have 24-hour care. The on-site day care at the system’s Highsmith-Rainey Memorial Hospital is even considering expanding its hours of operation. "But that depends on finding adequate staff to meet state requirements," Stefanski explains.
By attending base meetings, Cape Fear Valley personnel also can alert affected employees about military financial assistance programs, local merchant discounts, family activities that occur on base, and other programs that could be of use to a family trying to keep their routine during a deployment. "Most of our employees have more contact with us than with the base, so us going and finding the information is a more comfortable option for many of them," Stefanski says.
There are also regular support meetings at Highsmith-Rainey Memorial Hospital that are advertised through the work e-mail system, she says. People can meet each other and find a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen. Meetings may also include opportunities to do activities to support the troops. One February meeting was devoted to making Valentines for soldiers who have shipped out.
Stefanski is sure that the work of the Readiness Committee has helped the system to keep some employees that might otherwise have been lost. "By being proactive, we have precluded the need to up our recruitment," she says. "Eventually, the deployed individuals will come back, and then we have a more loyal employee because we took care of them in their time of need." n
Need More Information?- Todd Kelley, Manager, Media Relations, MultiCare Health System, Tacoma, WA. Telephone: (253) 403-1716.
- Terry Stefanski, Personnel Services Coordinator; Charles Stuard, Director for Women’s and Children’s Services, Highsmith-Rainey Memorial Hospital, Cape Fear Valley Health System, 1638 Owen Drive, P.O. Box 2000, Fayetteville, NC 28302-2000. Telephone: (910) 609-4000.
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