Retention of HCW to Retention of HCW to overcome skills overcome skills

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Dimakatso ShirindaHealth Risk Management Strategist

©082 909 1104

AgendaAgenda• Introduction

• HIV Impact on your business

• Healthcare worker statistics

• Motivational factors for HCW’s

• Recommendations

• Strategic considerations

• Conclusion

Let’s just imagine…Let’s just imagine…Competitor sets up a similar business across your premises, essentially destroying your business and its sustainability…

• Market share• Customer base• Profitably• Trained and competent employees

WHAT DO YOU DO?

YOU CHOOSE TO BE INNOVATIVE…Create better products,reseach new technologies, improve processes

and systems to ensure adequate ROI, Recruit new staff ,Upskill existing staff, Incentivise them, Reposition your brand

WHY IS THAT NOT WHY IS THAT NOT ALWAYS THE CASE ALWAYS THE CASE

WITH HCW’s?WITH HCW’s?•The HIV epidemic is still one of the major challenges to the country's socio-economic development.

•Health worker retention is critical for health system performance and a key problem is how best to motivate and retain health workers.

Corporate HIV/AIDS impact: forces summaryCorporate HIV/AIDS impact: forces summary

Loss of

skills

Knowledge

attrition

Declining morale

Corporate costs: summary

Increased

costs

Clearly there is a need for effective Healthcare Worker Retention Strategies …

HCW Statistics…HCW Statistics…• Africa has 2.3 Health Workers p/1000 population

VS.

• America has 24.8 Health Workers p/1000

Several major themes regarding Several major themes regarding

motivational factors were identifiedmotivational factors were identified

• Financial (in terms of salary or allowances)

• Career development (in regards to the possibility to specialise or be promoted)

• Continuing education (having the opportunity to take classes and attend seminars)

• Hospital infrastructure (the physical condition of the health facility, in papers often described as 'work environment')

BMC Health Services Research 2008

Motivational factors were identified Motivational factors were identified

continuescontinues……• Resource availability (refers to equipment and

medical supplies that are necessary for health workers to perform their job)

• Hospital Management (Poor management practices may contribute to high attrition, while management practices that value health workers may reduce attrition )

• Personal recognition or appreciation (either from managers, colleagues of the community)

• Other themes included fringe benefits (e.g. housing and transport allowances) , job security , personal safety , staff shortages and social factors, such as effect on family life BMC Health Services Research

2008

Implementation challenges often Implementation challenges often

experiencedexperienced• “Silo” approach

• Lack of leadership endorsement and participation

• Lack of union buy-in and participation

• Reactive vs proactive

• Lack of financial resources

• Perceived to be an HR issue vs a business imperative

• Separate scheme from employer initiatives

RecommendationsRecommendations

Strategic Strategic considerationsconsiderations

• Retired Health Care Workers are in a good position to drive Home Based Care Programmes (experience, loyalty)

• Training of lab staff, definite roles for community caregivers and Lay-counsellours

• Repositioning of the profession through innovative campaigns to attract new entrants

• Specific HCW retention strategies, including financial and non-financial incentives, to be addressed

• Health worker HIV/AIDS treatment & prevention programmes, incl. post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to always be in place.

• Deployment policies, skills mix, task shifting and their relationship to the rest of the health system needs to be clearly defined

• Continued support from regulatory bodies

ConclusionConclusionWhilst we expect HCW’s to

show us kindness,we,too need to show them kindness…

THANK YOU…THANK YOU…