In House Healthcare Travel Agency: Will it Work?
Sterile Processing Technicians (SPTs) are moving from their permanent positions toward temporary travel employment across the Nation. SPTs in Columbus, Georgia can make as little as $12 per hour, whereas that same Technician can make at least $2k per week as a traveler in Atlanta, Georgia, just 90 miles away. Company loyalty goes out the window when inflation (6.8%) is eating away at your $12 an hour job. Company loyalty goes out the window when you can’t take time off work because you don’t have enough paid time off (PTO). Company loyalty goes out the window when the culture stinks and a career ladder is non-existent. Sterile Processing Technicians that want to earn higher wages, and have more control over their careers (independent contractor) will leave their permanent position to travel. I know, everyone can’t leave home to travel.
What About the Permanent Technician?
The turnover rate for Sterile Processing Technicians was 19% (MOAB, n.d.) before the pandemic. I’m sure it’s much higher now in 2022. Did you know that employers pay at least $4,000 to replace an employee that earns $12 an hour (Wells, 2018). You should ask yourself, what has my employer done for me lately? Will your employer do everything to keep you after you’ve turned in your 2-week notice? Or, will your employer be more concerned with finding your replacement? It is sad to say, but fast-food restaurants are offering sign-on bonuses and paying their employees more than Sterile Processing Technicians in Columbus, Georgia. What’s the solution?
Travel but Not Really
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has created their own in-house travel agency for Surgical Technicians and Nurses (Mensik, 2021). Yes, read that again. Surgical Technicians and Nurses will take six-week assignments that rotate. They will go wherever the need is within the Healthcare care system. For example, Centura Health has 17 hospitals throughout Colorado and western Kansas (Centura, 2019). Surgical Technicians and Nurses will travel to any of the 17 locations based on the needs of those facilities. UPMC plan is to have competitive wages and better benefits compared to traditional travel agencies. Will this solve employee turnover or the wage gap? We have to be creative with hiring and retaining top talent.
Can They do More?
Millennials are changing jobs more often than the Baby Boomers generation. Generation Xs have needs, expectations and goals that differ from the Millennials or the Baby Boomers. It is clear, that we have to be creative. In house travel agency, flexible shifts, staff rotation, career paths, performance bonuses and compensations for each additional certification is a start. Healthcare systems in the United States definitely have the money to keep their employees because they can afford to pay their CEOs 253% more that the average employee (Mitchell 2021). I’m sure they can do more for Sterile Processing Technicians.
What is your solution to this mess? Do you think In-House Travel Agencies will create another set of problems? Would you travel in-house if you had the opportunity?
Centura (2019). Four Centura Health Hospitals Ranked Among Best in State. https://www.centura.org/news/four-centura-health-hospitals-ranked-among-best-state#:~:text=About%20Centura%20Health&text=Through%20our%2017%20hospitals%2C%20two,in%20every%20community%20we%20serve.
Mitchell (2021). The 7 highest-paid health system CEOs. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/rankings-and-ratings/the-7-highest-paid-health-system-ceos.html
MOAB (n.d.). 3 Ways to Increase Retention in Your Sterile Processing Department. https://moabhealthcare.com/increase-retention-in-your-sterile-processing-department/#:~:text=High%20turnover%20rates%20of%20SPD,Care%20Retention%20%26%20RN%20Staffing%20Report.
Wells (2018). Turnover and Retention Rates for Millennials in the Workplace. https://www.dailypay.com/blog/turnover-rates-for-millennials