Salary Survey Results-EHPs must justify their worth amid cost crunch at hospitals
Salaries flat, staffing lean in EHS
Financial turmoil at hospitals continues to squeeze employee health professionals, as their salary raises remain minimal while their cost of medical benefits rises, according to results from the exclusive 2000 Hospital Employee Health salary survey.
New regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and state laws on needlestick safety have raised the profile of employee health, but not necessarily the manpower. While one-third of the EHPs responding to the survey said they had added staff in the past year, 20% sustained a cut and 46% stayed the same.
EHPs can respond to these difficult times by demonstrating their contribution to the hospital's bottom line, employee health experts say.
"Keep blowing your own horn," says Kathleen VanDoren, RN, COHN-S, past executive president of the Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare (AOHP) in Reston, VA. "Let administrators know what you're doing in employee health, how you're cutting costs in workers' compensation, how you're making an impact in bringing workers back to work, how you're cutting their accident rate. Just keep harping on it.
"Get the figures out there, get the reports out there, and get them into the hands of the ones who make the difference," she advises.
EHPs are working hard, 28% of them work more than 45 hours a week, but their salaries don't always reflect that. About half the respondents earned between $40,000 and $60,000 per year. The most common job titles are employee health nurse, employee health manager, and employee health coordinator.
But while 54% reported receiving salary increases of 1% to 3% (and 18.5% received no raise at all), 55.5% of respondents said the cost of their medical benefits had increased. More than 200 employee health professionals responded to the mail-in survey that was distributed in the July issue of HEH.
"I have been lucky to get a raise every year, but usually my medical insurance goes up at least that much," says Denise Strode, RN, COHN-S, executive vice president of AOHP and clinical coordinator at the Saint Francis Center for Occupational Health in Peoria, IL. "You're just treading water — not drowning but not getting anywhere."
If floor nurses are getting bonuses as a recruitment tool or an enticement to stay, the money often isn't trickling down to most EHPs. Two-thirds of respondents said they didn't receive annual or semi-annual bonuses.
At Saint Francis Hospital, a hospitalwide "team award" provides up to $300 to full-time workers if the hospital meets its goals for the budget, patient satisfaction, and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization scores. While the payment may not be large, "it brings people together as a team," Strode says.
To literally increase their value, some employee health departments have become a revenue-producing part of the hospital by offering services to outside clients, such as community organizations and companies.
But even more traditional employee health departments can demonstrate that they save much more money than they spend. The key is learning how to document your work (such as through patient logs) and results (such as fewer lost workday injuries or lower absenteeism), experts say.
How do you get training in cost/benefit analysis and other documentation tools? One source is in the annual conferences of the AOHP and the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) in Atlanta.
"Every year we present [sessions] on how to prove your worth, ways you can let your management know you saved them money or manpower," says VanDoren, who is national chair of AOHP's education committee.
AAOHN offers a product called Success Tools, which includes worksheets for cost/ benefit analysis and case examples. The organization also offers seminars at its annual conference.
"It's not enough to just be there because it's the right thing to do," says Kae Livsey, RN, MPH, public policy and advocacy manager at AAOHN. "You absolutely have got to illustrate how you help the bottom line."
Networking with your peers at other hospitals in your community or around the country also can bring ideas on how to demonstrate the importance of employee health. MaryAnn Gruden, MSN, CRNP, NP-C, COHN-S/CM, executive president of AOHP, sees a positive sign in the 33.8% of survey respondents who reported an increase in the number of employees in their department. "I think we need to tap into what they've done . . . to justify increased staffing," says Gruden, who is manager of employee health at Sewickley (PA) Valley Hospital. "Maybe there are some lessons we can learn."
Life is far from bleak for employee health professionals. Many find that the field offers more stability and flexibility than other health care positions.
About 52% of respondents to the HEH survey have worked in the health care field for 25 or more years. Two-thirds said having "some freedom to choose [their] work schedule" was an extremely important or important benefit of their jobs.
"You're primarily working Monday through Friday, daylight hours," says Gruden. "You have a little bit of flexibility. Although it may not be much, if you need it it's there."
After all, the salary isn't the only reward. EHPs enjoy having some decision-making authority, as they help set certain important policies in the hospital. They build relationships with employees, and they may even be able to do some outside consulting to bring in some extra income, notes Strode.
"There were several years where I only got a [small] raise, but I still wanted to do my job," she says. "You stay there because you like the independence of it."
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