About 30 nursing graduates are coming in this next quarter, said hospital Chief Clinical Officer Tammy Needham. Island Health recently created a program that provides on-the-job transitional training for nurses who graduated but need a little extra practical training before they work on their own, she said.

Graduates who finished school during the pandemic had less chance for hands-on training, she said. This “Grow Our Own” program is one way Island Health is aiming to build its staff.

Island Health is also working to bring in more doctors to fill open positions that exist at most of its clinics and departments.

Searches are ongoing, with a set of interviews scheduled for next month and multiple doctors scheduled to start within the next six months, Cutter said. A new orthopedic surgeon starts this summer, a new family practice doctor starts in September, as does a new OB/GYN.

People now calling in for primary care are waiting months for their first visit. The community wants to see providers at Island Health, so the organization is doing what it can to increase staff to meet that demand, Cutter said.

According to the Washington State Hospital Association, those delays are happening all over as hospitals struggle with staffing.

“The pandemic has accelerated the need to make investments in the health care workforce to ensure people in communities across the state have access to health care services when they are needed,” Cassie Sauer, President and CEO of WSHA said in a statement on the organization’s website. “Hospitals are making major investments and changes to retain and recruit staff, including significant pay increases and working collaboratively with teams to establish new care models. We’re asking lawmakers to partner with hospitals to ensure Washington remains a top choice for nurses.”

The association is advocating for legislative changes that could mean help with these issues.

“Our population is aging and needing more hospital services,” Chelene Whiteaker, hospital association Senior Vice President Government Affairs, said in the statement on the association’s website. “Hospitals are looking to the future and recognizing there will not be enough nurses to care for everyone,” said  “We need to redesign how staffing works in hospitals and need the Legislature to support this longer-term journey.”

The program to help train nurses is just one the organization is implementing to recruit, develop and retain employees, Cutter said. Creating a vibrant and happy workforce is a core goal for the organization, she said.

“We want to invest in our staff, our people,” she said.

The first step is recruitment in every part of the organization, Cutter said.

Glade and the Human Resources Department are working with the marketing department on a push on social media to get open positions in front of people. The website was enough before the pandemic, but more is needed now, Cutter said.

The goal is to tell the story of Island Health and Anacortes and show people why they should want to work here, Director of Marketing and Community Relations Laura Moroney said.

With a nationwide shortage of health care workers, it’s up to the organization to show why working at Island Health is the best way to go, she said.

Island Health is offering sign-on bonuses for some positions if they will sign a two-year commitment. Island Health also created its own version of a traveling nurse program. Nurses will come from all over the state and country to work here for a few months and then move on.

Island Health is now starting a temporary nursing program, as well, to offer a six months commitment with the option to renew for nurses who live within an hour away. It offers higher pay in lieu of other full-time employment benefits. By offering this program in-house and signing with nurses directly, Island Health can cut about 40% of overhead expenses, Cutter said.

Island Health also works to help its workforce grow and learn, she said.

It offers two assistance programs for tuition. The Richard Iversen Memorial Scholarship allows staff to pursue a degree or certification in a clinical field. The Island Health Tuition Assistance Program has been utilized for anyone going into a health care-related field at any level. This is used both by nurses who want a new certification, as well as employees in non-degreed parts of the hospital who want to move into a health care role, Cutter said.

“We want to remove that financial barrier for people,” she said.

The hospital also offers its employees other ways to receive more training to increase their position and pay, she said.

As for retaining staff, administrators asked employees what they wanted to see in terms of employee recognition, and they said they wanted a way to recognize their peers, Cutter said.

The hospital launched CARES Champions.  CARES stands for compassion, accountability, respect, excellence and stewardship. Anyone in the organization can nominate anyone else as a CARES Champion after seeing them exhibit these qualities, Cutter said.

The champions are listed on the company’s intranet and in the employee dining room each month, with the opportunity to learn more. They also receive a lanyard and name tag holder that signals they have been recognized, she said. Once a quarter, a name will be drawn, and one champion will win a $100 gift card.

In the first month of the program, staff members nominated 50 CARES Champions, Moroney said.

Also for recognition, the administration is completing a market analysis and adjusting pay rates. It is getting ready to go through negotiations with its nursing union and is looking into insurance that allows dependent coverage at a lower rate. It is also looking at opportunities for retirement plans and other plans with lower fees for employees.

“We are leaving no stone unturned,” Cutter said.

The hospital is also working with the Anacortes Family Center, which will soon open a new building of affordable housing with units set aside for income-eligible Island Health staff. That building will also be home to a daycare center run by the Boys and Girls Club, with some priority spots held for Island Health employees.

The hospital’s Morale, Wellness and Recognition committee also holds several events during the year for employees. The organization is increasing its communication, too, with things like posted communication boards in each department and a staff newsletter every month.

A staff survey in June will ask all 750 employees to provide feedback on what they like and don’t like and what they want to see, Cutter said.