Mississippi
Rising costs, contract work exacerbate nursing shortage for state’s safety net hospital
As a part of efforts to deal with a scarcity of nurses and respiratory therapists, the College of Mississippi Medical Middle (UMMC) hosted a walk-in job truthful on Monday.
Pre-pandemic, UMMC would have a median of 30 open nursing positions at a time. That quantity has ballooned to over 200 over the previous few years.
For respiratory remedy, the hospital has 30 open positions in its grownup hospital and 20 to 25 openings in its pediatric unit.
In the course of the five-hour job truthful, 16 candidates confirmed up and 11 had been provided jobs on the spot. All accepted their presents.
Patrice Donald, a registered nurse and supervisor of medical recruitment and retainment at UMMC, stated that the streamlined job truthful course of cuts down the time from the interview to hiring by round 42 days.
Abigail Could of Madison is one among UMMC’s latest hires. Could will graduate from UMMC’s nursing college on Could 27 and begin her new job within the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit simply three days later.
Could stated that her expertise at UMMC, each as a scholar and a affected person, together with the middle’s give attention to medical analysis, makes her wish to keep in Mississippi.
“I really like serving to the sickest of the sick sufferers,” Could stated. “I really feel like that’s positively my calling.”
Mississippi has misplaced greater than 2,000 nurses over the course of the pandemic as a result of burnout or greater paying jobs in different states, typically in journey nursing. This pressure is being felt all throughout the nation, and the nationwide scarcity of nurses is prone to worsen over time.
The growing old inhabitants creates further challenges: An older inhabitants will increase the demand for well being care providers, whereas additionally lowering the variety of working registered nurses as extra retire from the workforce.
A brand new report from the McKinsey consulting agency estimates that the US might have between 200,000 to 450,000 fewer nurses accessible than are wanted by 2025. The variety of nursing college graduates who enter and keep within the workforce would want to greater than double yearly till 2025 to fulfill this demand.
A number of the state’s American Rescue Plan Act funding was appropriated to assist handle this difficulty, together with $40 million for nurse coaching at faculties and universities and $6 million for forgiving nurses’ scholar loans.
However the results of this funding gained’t be felt for a while and does nothing for hospitals who want nurses instantly.
“It’s been difficult to recruit to retain, when there are such a lot of journey businesses on the market who can supply them much more cash to depart the state … I’d be mendacity if I stated that I hadn’t gotten an electronic mail or cellphone name asking what my curiosity is,” Gordon Gartrell, a nurse supervisor in UMMC’s pediatric intensive care unit, stated.
Nonetheless, UMMC has a aggressive benefit over different well being care suppliers within the state, Gartrell stated, as a result of it hosts the state’s solely kids’s hospital.
Nelson Weichold, UMMC’s chief monetary officer, addressed the nursing scarcity throughout a gathering of the Establishments of Greater Studying’s Well being Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
The labor prices for nurses have elevated 14% when in comparison with the averaged income generated by all inpatient and outpatient providers UMMC gives, based on Weichold.
Weichold additionally introduced knowledge from the well being care administration consulting agency Kaufman Corridor & Associates that confirmed the dramatic enhance within the nationwide common for contract nurse labor prices. Earlier than the coronavirus pandemic, wage charges for contract nurses had been nearly double these for employed nurses. By March 2022, contract nurses had been making practically 4 instances greater than employed nurses.
The elevated labor prices, coupled with elevated prices for provides, are “squeezing” hospitals in a method that’s not occurring in different industries, Weichold stated. Airways and quick meals corporations can move these elevated prices immediately onto customers in a method hospitals can’t.
“That’s not occurring within the hospital trade, as a result of, keep in mind, we’re not charging prospects, we’re charging insurance coverage corporations,” Weichold stated. “And the insurance coverage corporations are very reticent proper now to extend hospital fee charges.”
This stress between hospitals and insurance coverage corporations has been enjoying out overtly in Mississippi over the previous few months as a result of UMMC’s intense contract dispute with Blue Cross & Blue Protect of Mississippi, the state’s largest non-public insurer.
UMMC presently has round 3,000 nurses throughout its system, and round 100 of them are contract staff. Weichold stated UMMC is planning on rising nurse wages additional when the hospital can wean itself off contract nurse labor.
Donald stated that along with their regular nursing duties, the job descriptions for nurses consists of the phrase “and all different duties as assigned,” an addition that has helped them keep afloat through the labor scarcity. Nurses are sometimes moved round to completely different items as wanted.
“We have nurses floating round in every single place,” Tyler Fitzgerald, a nurse supervisor in UMMC’s transplant unit, stated. “So we have managed. It has been powerful at instances, and it stays powerful, however we’re all right here for a similar motive.”
In the course of the IHL assembly, Weichold stated that the habits of contract nurses has modified not too long ago. Whereas many had been leaving to work in different states early within the pandemic, now they’re leaving a job at one hospital to do contract work at one other hospital in the identical metropolis. In keeping with Weichold, most UMMC nurses who go away for contract work return to the hospital inside three to 4 months.
Fitzgerald skilled that development firsthand.
Fitzgerald stated his crew misplaced three full-time nurses through the pandemic who’ve not too long ago returned to UMMC.
“Now we have folks that go away after which come again,” Fitzgerald stated. “Everyone at all times comes residence.”
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STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — From the moment Jeff Lebby arrived in Starkville, the first-time head coach has preached that a show is coming to Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs certainly put on a show for game one of his tenure, as MSU had 450 yards of total offense and ran away with a 56-7 victory on Saturday against Eastern Kentucky. It gave the coach his first career win and kicked off a new era of football.
“One of the coolest things for myself and my family, the fans showed out. Over 10,000 students showed up and hung with us through the rain. They did an unbelievable job creating the energy,” he said.
All three phases scored for the Bulldogs with touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams.
On offense, quarterback Blake Shapen debuted the new scheme with a 15 of 20 showing as the Baylor transfer found the end zone three times through the air and had 247 yards. On the ground, Shapen led the team with seven carries for 44 yards and a rushing score.
“I felt like it was a good day for us,” Shapen said. “There are obviously some things we can clean up and get better at, but overall it was a great start to the season. I’m just thankful for this opportunity at a new place and I know a lot of guys feel that way.”
The Bulldogs (1-0) had four wide receivers score touchdowns as Jordan Mosely had five catches for 104 yards and a touchdown and Kevin Coleman had five catches for 88 yards and a score. Coleman also had five punt returns for 117 yards.
MSU scored touchdowns on its first two possessions before a rain storm dampened the progress. The Bulldogs were back in the end zone in the second quarter on a Creed Whittemore 41-yard end around and then back-to-back touchdown passes to Coleman from 23 yards away and freshman Mario Craver for 54 yards.
Special teams got in on the mix with a blocked punt from JP Purvis — recovered by Craver — and another true freshman in defensive back Elijah Cannon who had a 51-yard pick-6.
“It’s fun to see those guys go out there and make some plays. It’s a players’ game, players have got to make the plays,” Lebby said. “Fun for our sideline, fun for our guys to be able to see them make plays late in the game like this.”
EKU (0-1) scored a touchdown in the final seconds of the first half but was held scoreless in the final two frames. The Bulldogs allowed 130 second half yards. Despite running 19 more plays than State (76-57) the Colonels were outgained 450-285 with the Bulldogs averaging 7.9 yards per play.
“There are plenty of things that we have to clean up. We’ve got to play better, we’ve got to play cleaner,” Lebby said. “So much good, but so much to clean up. That was the message in the locker room.”
BIG PICTURE
EKU: The Colonels were simply overmatched, but the Colonels have a manageable schedule coming down the line.
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have been searching for excitement and the team has it – at least for game one. State picked up nearly 500 yards of offense and showed explosiveness on that side of the ball as Lebby’s offense did its thing. There is a rough schedule on the horizon, but it appeared fun again for the Bulldogs.
UP NEXT
Eastern Kentucky travels to Western Kentucky on Sept. 7.
Mississippi State travels to Arizona State on Sept. 7.
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A commercial passenger bus driving through Mississippi on its way to Mexico ran off a highway and overturned early Saturday, killing seven people and injuring dozens. The accident occurred on Interstate 20 east of Vicksburg, CNN reports. A total of 37 people were taken to hospitals in Vicksburg and Jackson, the Mississippi Highway Patrol said. A 6-year-old boy and his 16-year-old sister were among those killed, per the AP. “Anytime you have people injured or killed, it’s tragic, but when you have a situation like this where you have multiple fatalities and multiple injuries, it makes it even worse,” said Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace.
The bus, a 2018 Volvo, is owned by Autobuses Regiomontanos, which transports passengers between Mexico and the US, a company spokesperson said. The company is based in Monterrey, Mexico, Miranda Fernandez said. Its website lists several US locations; it’s not clear where the trip had originated. “All of the passengers go through proper immigration checkpoints and must show their passports or visas to enter either Mexico or the United States,” Fernandez told CNN. (More bus accident stories.)
Mississippi
What channel is Mississippi State football vs EKU on today? Time, TV schedule for Week 1 game
Mississippi State football opens the 2024 season with FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky on Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium.
The Bulldogs open Year 1 of the Jeff Lebby era with a lot of unknowns. Saturday’s game will be a good chance to find some answers.
Mississippi State QB Blake Shapen will make his first start in maroon and may have a big season in Lebby’s offense.
Here’s how to watch the Mississippi State football vs. Eastern Kentucky game today, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:
Mississippi State vs. EKU will broadcast nationally via streaming on SEC Network+ and ESPN+ in Week 1 of the 2024 college football season. Kevin Fitzgerald and Charlie Strong will call the game from the booth at Davis Wade Stadium. Streaming options for the game include ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service.
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
- Start time: 5 p.m. CT
The Mississippi State football vs. Eastern Kentucky game starts at 5 p.m. CT Saturday from Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi.
Clarion Ledger reporter Sam Sklar’s prediction: Mississippi State 50, Eastern Kentucky 10
Saturday will be a celebration of sorts for Lebby’s first game. The Bulldogs will come out hungry with something to prove on offense after last season. MSU will grab a big lead early and Blake Shapen won’t need to play a single snap in the fourth quarter.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, Aug. 29
- Odds: N/A
- O/U: N/A
- Money line: N/A
- Aug. 31: EKU, 5 p.m. on ESPN+ and SEC Network+
- Sept. 7: at Arizona State, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
- Sept. 14: Toledo, 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU
- Sept. 21: Florida, 11 a.m. on ABC or ESPN
- Sept. 28: at Texas, TBD
- Oct. 5: OPEN DATE
- Oct. 12: at Georgia, TBD
- Oct. 19: Texas A&M, TBD
- Oct. 26: Arkansas, TBD
- Nov. 2: UMass, 3:15 p.m. on SEC Network
- Nov. 9: at Tennessee, TBD
- Nov. 16: OPEN DATE
- Nov. 23: Missouri
- Nov. 29: at Ole Miss, 2:30 p.m. on ABC and ESPN+
- Dec. 7: SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, 4 p.m. on ABC
- Record: 0-0
- Aug. 31: Mississippi State, 5 p.m. on ESPN+ and SEC Network+
- Sept. 7: at Western Kentucky, 6 p.m. on ESPN+
- Sept. 14: West Georgia, 5 p.m. on ESPN+
- Sept. 21: Morehead State, 5 p.m. on ESPN+
- Sept. 28: Robert Morris, 1 p.m. on ESPN+
- Oct. 5: OPEN DATE
- Oct. 12: at Southern Utah, 3 p.m. on ESPN+
- Oct. 19: at Abilene Christian, 3 p.m. on ESPN+
- Oct. 26: Utah Tech, 2 p.m. on ESPN+
- Nov. 2: at Tarleton State, 6 p.m. on ESPN+
- Nov. 9: Central Arkansas, 1 p.m. on ESPN+
- Nov. 16: at Austin Peay, 1 p.m. on ESPN+
- Nov. 23: North Alabama, 1 p.m. on ESPN+
- Record: 0-0
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