This message was emailed to all Ballad Health team members on Friday, Oct. 30, from Alan Levine, Ballad Health’s chairman and chief executive officer:
Good Afternoon:
Over the past nine months, our team throughout the region has dedicated itself to doing all we can do to care for the people we are entrusted to serve. It has been very difficult, given the magnitude of the challenge, and the fact there has been no light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, twice now, we have seen massive surges in COVID volume, with the current surge threatening our very capability to be able to offer the full range of services needed in our region.
Several days ago, I shared with you in an email that we are very aware of the strain and stress that has been placed on our nursing team, and their support. I also said we are working on several initiatives to try and provide support to our direct caregivers.
They need it, and they deserve it.
This afternoon, in a special Ballad Health News bulletin, we shared with you a special message that former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich recorded specifically for the Ballad Health team. This should be evidence to you that many people are watching how Ballad Health serves its community, and whether we are capable of stepping up to the challenge. Please hear what Speaker Gingrich said. It is powerful and kind – and recognizes that God puts us where he does for times like this. We are serving him as we serve the most vulnerable in our region.
And by all accounts, you are stepping up to the challenge. It is not easy. It is exhausting at times. We have a shortage of health manpower that Ballad Health must contend with, and you, by the bedside, are tasked with caring for patients under those circumstances. And yet, a patient just today posted the following on Facebook:
“I have been in the COVID-19 unit for three days and have never been treated better in my entire life! Seeing these working heroes perform under the most stressful situations is nothing short of ‘miracle workers.’ God bless them and keep them safe! Ballad Health really has their act together on this.”
As I said, this was posted just today.
Over the next few days, we will announce a series of steps we are taking to provide additional support to our nursing team. I realize so many more people are sacrificing and helping, and the fact that many of these initiatives are focused on direct bedside caregivers is NOT a statement to the contrary. We appreciate everyone’s work and everyone deserves to be recognized.
But the fact is that we are facing a major shortage nationally, and as we continue to see increases in COVID cases, the strain is becoming so significant for nursing that we must take all steps to provide the support to them.
Today, I’m announcing that, effective the pay period that begins Nov. 8, all direct inpatient bedside, direct emergency department, direct women’s and children’s RNs, LPNs, nursing assistants and respiratory therapists will receive a temporary 15-percent pay increase to their base hourly rate. This temporary increase will apply through mid-January, when we will reevaluate based on the situation at that time. The supplemental COVID pay for those on COVID units will continue to be stacked on top of this enhanced rate.
In addition, we will be announcing permanent market rate hourly increases to base pay for respiratory therapists, and CRTs. Details will be provided over the next week. The 15-percent adjustment referenced in the previous paragraph will be applied ON TOP OF the pay adjustment.
Because we are having to reduce elective cases in our operating rooms, and because our operating room bedside staff are so critical, we are going to pay guaranteed fulltime hours for our operating room nurses in the event that the reduction in cases would impact their total pay. This will be in effect for the next 30 days, at which time we will re-evaluate based upon what the situation is with COVID and its impact on our elective surgery volume.
Further details will be shared with you through your managers next week as we continue our planning. And we will communicate with you the several additional steps we are planning to take to help provide relief for our nursing team.
To be clear, the pay adjustments we are announcing today do not come close to the recognition our nursing and respiratory teams deserve. But it is our earnest attempt to provide support and, in combination with other efforts we will be announcing, to ensure a work environment our nursing team can feel comfortable with. The stories I have heard from other parts of the country which have faced these surges are heartbreaking, and we all must stand with our caregiver teams to make sure they know they have our, and our community’s support.
Gratefully,
Alan
Alan Levine
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Ballad Health
