Over the previous two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the position public well being officers play in Oregon. However a brand new report launched this week says the state’s 32 county-based well being businesses are dealing with a staffing disaster.
The research discovered Oregon’s licensing system makes it tough for nurses from different states to come back right here to work.
A good larger drawback: Public businesses must compete straight with non-public well being care suppliers who pays their workers way more. Beginning pay for nurses, for instance, is lower than $30 an hour at public well being businesses, a fraction of what they will make at hospitals.
“Nurses can go to the hospital ICU and may make $100 per hour,” Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, Douglas County well being officer, stated in a press release. “When a public well being division gives $27.30 an hour, they assume we should have missed a digit.”