The classic solution is to increase wages. The problem is that this isn’t sustainable.

Whenever businesses or industries face a shortage of people, the first option to explore is increased wages. After all, if you want more people to take the jobs you have, boost compensation and watch people flood in, right? It seems like simple supply and demand.

However, as many healthcare employers will tell you, they have been paying more—in many cases, significantly more. According to Fitch Ratings, year-over-year average hourly earnings across US hospitals in 2023 increased by an average of 4.7%. To put that into perspective, average wage increases from 2010 to 2019 were only 2.4%. Further, Lightcast recently reported that advertised wages for Registered Nurses increased by an enormous 127.6%, with the median advertised wage topping out at $205,000 in October 2021.

The problem with this option is that unprecedented wage increases are actually highly unsustainable. The majority of providers simply cannot afford this solution long-term (see this new report from WSJ and ZipRecruiter on that). If providers want to maintain profitable practices, they need to moderate their wages.

The classic solution is to become a major headhunter. The problem is that this can feel like playing musical chairs

Most healthcare providers also turn to better recruiting strategies in order to lure talent away from other providers. These strategies include hiring more recruiters (including using third-party firms), posting jobs more aggressively and more broadly (relying on job boards in a variety of locations), and yes, using pay and other perks to entice people away from their existing jobs.

This is an option that most healthcare firms will tell you they are already doing and have been doing for quite some time. Yet shortages persist.

The core problem with relying on headhunting is that it doesn’t solve the underlying problem, which is a lack of supply. Recruiting and pay actually exacerbate the issue by merely shuffling existing employees around the labor market in an expensive game of musical chairs.

The classic solution is to focus on higher ed. The problem is that traditional higher education can take too long, cost too much and be more than what is needed

America’s healthcare training at the postsecondary level has been one of her greatest strengths for many years. We are well known for our institutions, and people come from all over the world to study.

So, what is the problem with turning to higher education to solve the talent crisis? It comes down to time and price. Postsecondary programs often take a lot more than two or four years to complete, which is simply too long for our nation’s healthcare providers feeling the talent pinch right now. Also, many students can’t clear the biggest hurdle: the cost.

Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, the world of healthcare desperately needs to staff a huge number of jobs that do not require two- or four-year degrees. Many of the top careers in the list produced by Lightcast (clinical laboratory technicians, pharmacy technicians, surgical technologists, medical records specialists, home health aides, occupational therapy assistants, and medical assistants) require short-term training programs. With this being the case, we would not want to encourage students to take out huge loans to attend school for the better part of a decade —only to end up in an entry-level job that they could have qualified for without the debt and degree.

So with steep wage hikes, headhunting, and lengthy, expensive education out of the running, what can healthcare providers do? To solve the real problem—talent shortage—we must turn our attention to increasing the talent supply. Quickly.

Affordable, short-term credentials are the solution

The best way for healthcare providers to fix the raging healthcare talent shortage is by building a farm system of talent via affordable, short-term training programs aligned with the careers that they have the hardest time filling. As mentioned earlier, most of these careers are entry-level and require minimal training.

To help, MedCerts has developed over 30 allied health, health IT, and specialty medical certification training programs that quickly build the talent pool for those crucial entry-level jobs. MedCerts offers these programs to every institution (postsecondary institutions, workforce agencies, staffing companies, and healthcare providers) that has a vested interest in expanding and improving the allied health talent pool.

Let’s take a quick look at the benefits of workforce-aligned, short-term programs.

Flexible and engaging

First, because MedCerts’ programs are offered online, they can be taken anywhere, any time. This makes them very appealing to people who might already have another job or other commitments that keep them from enrolling in traditional full-time postsecondary programs.

The video-based courses feature a highly engaging curriculum, experienced instructors (accomplished professionals themselves), and hands-on experience and activities (not death by PowerPoint) to encourage students to embrace the learning.

Affordable

At an average of $4,000, MedCerts’ programs are exceptionally reasonably priced. Students can take the program without getting into debt, complete the program at their own pace and manage life while they learn.

A primary criticism leveled against many entry-level allied health jobs is that they don’t pay enough. That is very true if you just spent four years in college and shouldered $30,000 (or more) in debt. But with MedCerts’ programs, the comparatively lower paycheck of that first job is no determent. Students can launch their careers and gain valuable experience without needing wages that could nearly buy a house.

Students become employable in weeks or months

Most of MedCerts’ programs can be completed in several months instead of several years. Students aren’t staring down a long tunnel of studying before they reap the reward of their labors.

How are the programs so short? The beauty of these programs is that they focus on exactly what people need to get started in a wide array of allied health and health IT jobs. Students can focus their time and effort and, if they do, they will be ready very quickly to start jobs. This is a huge benefit to the students themselves and the businesses that have massive needs for entry-level talent.

Students can get their foot into the world of allied health

When it comes to the world of work, getting started is often the hardest part. Healthcare careers are often quite lucrative and set people up for good lifetime earnings; the problem, for many people, is getting their foot in the door.

MedCerts’ short-term programs help students get that foot in the door. From here, they can pursue other, more advanced jobs and the education required for those jobs. More often than not, employers are happy to help with the cost of education in order to grow and upskill their own talent.

Build an incredible allied health team for a better price, in less time than you think

The healthcare talent crunch isn’t going away anytime soon. If you’ve run out of options and need help—whether by standing up allied health and health IT programs, finding new talent, or upskilling existing talent – MedCerts is the solution for you.

In the next article, we will explore how colleges, healthcare providers, staffing companies and workforce agencies can use MedCerts’ programs to expand the supply of talent and to fill their own educational or workforce gaps.

Ready to learn more about how your organization can partner with MedCerts? Fill out the form below and a MedCerts Partner Solutions expert will reach out.