Recruiting talent to small rural hospitals is a challenge for our local healthcare organizations however, quality of life is attracting more and more providers to West Central Illinois. McDonough District Hospital Vice President of Business Strategy Patrick Osterman says it’s truly a community effort:
“Really highlight that quality of life where you’re able to live in a town like Macomb and be able to recruit to the hospital like MDH and it takes a team effort whether it’s you know the initial contact point with Lindsay or when our staff meets with the provider when they come to interview even the community members that we get together with and they do a community tour. It’s just everybody selling the provider on this is a great place to come work at so, something that we were talking about off air, it’s almost kind of like college sports a little bit it’s almost like 24/7 recruiting where you always want to try and find that right fit.”
Numerous healthcare sources report Illinois is projected to be short 6,203 doctors by 2030, and 1,063 primary care providers. The shortage is especially pronounced in rural areas. Illinois is also projected to be short nearly 15,000 nurses by 2025. The shortage is expected to worsen as the state’s population ages and more experienced nurses retire. Illinois is not alone and is one of 33 states that will face a shortage of LPNs by 2030.
