But a New York Times investigation has found that hospitals helped lay the groundwork for the labor crisis long before the arrival of the coronavirus. Looking to bolster their bottom lines, hospitals sought to wring more work out of fewer employees. When the pandemic swamped hospitals with critically ill patients, their lean staffing went from a financial strength to a glaring weakness.

Source: How a Sprawling Hospital Chain Ignited Its Own Staffing Crisis – The New York Times

In my state, it was reported a week ago that staffing levels are insufficient and have been for a long time. During the pandemic, our local hospital monopoly laid off hundreds of staff because they chose not to be vaccinated (vaccination does not prevent infection nor does it prevent spreading Covid-19 to others). The result is a significant staff shortage.

When you hear there are few patient beds available, is this staffed beds or total beds? Here, it is relative to total staffed beds – and when staffing is low, there are fewer total beds available. It is not a shortage of physical beds but a shortage of staff.

Coldstreams