Licking Memorial fares well amid nursing shortage, eyes expansion into St. Albans Township
Nationwide there's a nursing shortage, but Licking Memorial Health Systems' top leader says the organization is faring better than others when it comes to retaining employees.
Licking Memorial President and CEO Rob Montagnese shared that and other health system updates at its quarterly breakfast Tuesday at the hospital.
"Part of what we have to do is communicate, both to our staff and the community, that even though we have some challenges within the industry, they're certainly less significant than others," he said to the roughly 100 attendees.
The COVID-19 pandemic made a nationwide nursing shortage even worse. A 2023 report by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing found about 100,000 registered nurses have left the profession since 2020, and more than 600,000 intend to leave by 2027 due to stress, burnout and retirement.
Of the four large hospital systems in Columbus — Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center, OhioHealth Corp., Mount Carmel Health System and Nationwide Children’s Hospital — there are roughly 2,000 open nursing jobs while Licking Memorial has less than 40 openings, Montagnese said.
"Now, if you're up on one of those units and you're really swamped, you don't really care about those statistics. You care about that shift," he said. "But relatively speaking, organizationally, we're positioned well."
Licking Memorial is in a good position for nurses and other specialists, Montagnese said, because of its close relationship with Central Ohio Technical College and Ohio State University at Newark. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the health system realized it needed more respiratory therapists. COTC responded and now has a respiratory therapists program.
Montagnese shared during the presentation that Licking Memorial hired 597 employees in 2023.
Among staff nurses, the health system's turnover rate is 16%, compared to the average turnover rate of 15% for nurses, according to data from the Ohio Hospital Association.
While it's up to COTC and OSU Newark to educate future medical professionals, Licking Memorial is doing its part to ensure the workforce pipeline is full. Montagnese said in an interview after the event that the health system will hold an event for high school students in the coming months to get them interested in the health care field.
In addition to that, the health system holds a two-summer camp for incoming high school seniors called Camp Med. The program, Montagnese said, shows students a wide range of medical careers.
The health system also offers tuition assistance to encourage and support current technicians going back to school at COTC and OSU Newark for much-needed clinical specialties, Montagnese said, who also chairs the COTC board.
While it's an exciting time in Licking County, with Intel and other tech giants building facilities, Montagnese said in an interview that there are still staffing needs at established Licking County businesses and organizations.
"We can't forget all the industries that have been in this community for, in our case, 125-plus years," he said. "I think locally, once again, OSU Newark, COTC do a great job with that."
Licking Memorial eyes expanding into western Licking County
During an event in 2023, Montagnese said Licking Memorial purchased 100 acres in Jersey Township for $10 million. In an interview after Tuesday's event, he said the hospital system bought 21 acres of St. Albans Township land, southeast of Hazelton-Etna and Jersey Mill roads, and just north of Ohio 161. The health system is also interested in a couple of smaller parcels nearby, he said.
Licking Memorial now plans to sell the Jersey Township property, which is immediately south of Worthington Road, northwest of Patterson Road, midway between Mink Street and Ohio 310.
Montagnese said the Jersey Township property was bigger than the health system needed, and it wasn't in the spot officials hoped for. The St. Albans land became available, and Licking Memorial moved forward with the purchase. The hospital paid $3.3 million, and the land transferred Nov. 3, according to the Licking County Auditor's website.
Licking Memorial does not have plans for the site yet, Montagnese said.
"That, I don't want to say halted our planning, but it obviously changes when you have a different piece of property that you're now trying to lay out what services, what buildings will go where," he said. "I would expect to have something more specific as this year develops."
During the event, Montagnese shared that Licking Memorial has opened a clinic at Licking Heights High School in Pataskala. It's the first clinic the health system has opened inside a school, and it serves not only the staff and students but the whole community, he said.
Licking Memorial opened that clinic, in part, because of the growth of western Licking County, and the hospital system is mindful of the increasing diversity of the southwest corner of the county, Montagnese said after the event.
"Part of that was recognizing that we would have to be aware and receptive and understand various cultures because there's a Nepalese population, a Bhutanese population, and so certainly our providers are aware of that," he said in an interview. "We are certainly opening our arms to anybody in that community that needs health care."
Residents in western Licking County are used to going west into Franklin County for shopping, entertainment and work, Montagnese said, and Licking Memorial has to work harder so people realize it's an option. It's why the health system is making a concentrated effort to expand beyond it's existing programs and Pataskala Health Campus near Broad Street.
"We want Licking Countians to feel like this is their hospital — because it is — and whether you live in western Licking County, eastern, southern, central, Newark, this is your community hospital," he said. "You're going to get comparable or better service than you would get at larger facilities right here at your community hospital."
mdevito@gannett.com
740-607-2175
Twitter: @MariaDeVito13
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Licking Memorial Health System faring well amid nursing shortage
