For Brian Moore, president and CEO of Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay, the most pertinent topic in Oregon health policy is addressing the lasting negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the healthcare workforce. He discussed how his organization is navigating the workforce crisis at the 2022 Oregon State of Reform Conference last fall.
To increase retention, Moore says his facility is listening to hospital staff and ensuring they have the resources and support they need. Crucial workforce support efforts like this were eroded during the pandemic, he says.
“It sounds really basic, but even the basics got upended a bit during the first couple years of the pandemic response.”