Here’s how healthcare leaders can navigate shifts in the industry

The healthcare industry is constantly changing. The news is full of stories about new diseases putting a strain on workers, or employees unionizing for their rights. As a healthcare leader it’s important to be an active listener as things begin to shift across the country. 

How can you navigate the industry if you don’t know what’s going on? The answer is you can’t. 

Being a leader means considering all options and making decisions that are good for everyone. It’s a selfless role to be a healthcare leader, putting your patients and employees first. 

Being the eyes and ears for the industry

Staying in touch with the world around you is key to being a problem solver. As a leader, many times you are not on the frontlines helping care for patients, so it’s vital that you open your ears to problems. The frontline employees are dealing with healthcare shifts head-on, so you need to be a support system for them. 

For example, the amount of people getting seriously ill or even dying because of lifestyle choices has risen by 50% in the last 24 years. These numbers put a huge burden and weight on employees’ shoulders, and as a healthcare leader it’s important that you are in tune with this so you can help out from an upper-level standpoint. 

“This story should be a wake-up call to American voters and US healthcare policy makers. While globally, life expectancy is increasing – in the US, it’s actually been decreasing in the last few years – the US also has seen an increase in maternal mortality rates, an increase in infectious disease cases, and we have higher rates of long term conditions such as obesity and diabetes. The difference between the countries that are seeing these health problems decline are also the ones investing in preventative care for all of their citizens,” says DoorSpace CEO Sarah M. Worthy.

Navigating changes like these in the healthcare industry means, not only listening to what’s going on around you, but asking for feedback from those frontline workers. They have a different point of view that can really help make efficient change. A real leader will know this, and will go the extra mile for their employees. 

Provide more resources

The next step to navigating shifts in the healthcare industry is to provide resources and solutions for both employees and patients. Being proactive instead of reactive is vital to handling things smoothly. If nurses are understaffed, as a leader you need to work extra hard to promote the onboarding of new employees.

Mental health is another issue many are seeing in the healthcare sector. 64% of nurses say they feel “a great deal of stress” from their jobs, while ⅔ of nurses are not receiving mental health support. Nurses are the greatest caretakers there are, so they deserve to have that reciprocated. 

“The US healthcare system is reactive and the policies we have in place encourage investment in treatments but not prevention. If we want to see healthcare in America improve, we have to follow the example of these other nations and invest in our primary care and mental health segments as well as social support systems that are proven to prevent health crises before they begin,” says Worthy. 

Investing in accessible mental health resources for employees will help prevent burnout, turnover and other issues. Keeping your employees in mind is a non negotiable, and being a proactive leader for them will help the whole industry thrive. 

Focus on prevention

The spreading of diseases is a nightmare for hospital employees and just people across the world. No one wants to be sick, but it takes an army to help prevent an outbreak. As a healthcare leader, you must focus on promoting prevention to help keep people safe. Whether that’s investing in new testing or encouraging people to be educated on new diseases, prevention is the key to keeping a tight ship. 

Not only does prevention keep people from getting sick and going to the hospital, it allows frontline employees to breathe and not overwork themselves. Like we saw with COVID-19, hospital overcrowding put a lot of stress on the hospital itself and the workers. By focusing on prevention of any disease, you can get ahead of the curve and give yourself extra time to plan in case of an emergency. 

These are just three ways to navigate an ever-changing healthcare system. As a leader, it’s important to be in tune with yourself and those around you. You have to make educated decisions not just for yourself but for employees and their patients. A smooth operation requires a passion for helping others.