The U.S. has been facing a national nursing shortage over the last few years. In fact, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that the number of registered nurses in the workforce decreased by over 100,000 from 2020 to 2021, and the nursing shortage has continued throughout 2024. Though this nursing shortage is being felt all around the nation, it is particularly felt in the state of Georgia.
A local news source claims that Georgia is expected to have the second-worst nursing shortage in the nation over the next decade. This is unfortunate news for the 13 thousand medically fragile children in the state. At Optimum Pediatric Services, we know that the nursing shortage severely strains the hospital system, which is why we believe that pediatric home care solutions like ours can help alleviate this burden that Georgia hospitals are facing.
Why Pediatric Home Care Lowers Re-hospitalization Rates
An estimated 1 in 5 children with medically complex conditions are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. With this in mind, it makes sense why medically fragile children and their families are being impacted by the nursing shortage. However, pediatric home care services like OPS can reduce both the labor strain on the hospitals and the financial strain on the families because our services are designed to keep medically fragile children from being re-hospitalized.
The OPS team cares for medically fragile children in more than 50 counties across Georgia, and offers many services that hospitals provide like:
Implementing an in-home care plan
Treating wounds
Offering nutritional support
Managing medication administration
Training family caregivers
Because home health services reduce re-hospitalization rates, companies like OPS also help hospitals avoid re-hospitalization fines. This way, pediatric home care agencies not only help families avoid hefty medical costs but also prevent hospitals from financial burdens.
The Effect of Pediatric Home Care in Rural Areas
With our eyes focused on the nursing shortage in Georgia, the OPS team has especially focused on the many rural counties in Georgia that do not have a hospital presence. In fact, 53 of Georgia’s 120 rural counties do not have a hospital. Even more shocking is that 9 of those rural counties don’t even have a doctor.
Knowing that medical resources in rural counties are spread severely thin, especially in this time of a nursing shortage, home health services are more important than ever. At OPS, our goal is to continue expanding our pediatric home care services to all rural counties in Georgia so that no family facing pediatric medical complexities is left behind in receiving proper care for their child.
How to Advocate for In-Home Pediatric Care Services Amid the Nursing Shortage
For those looking to do their part in helping to relieve the nursing shortage in America, we ask you to explore these three avenues:
Encourage young people to pursue nursing pathways
Advocate for your local government to support in-home medical services
Spread the word to your local community or network about the benefits of home health agencies
With the proper attention and advocacy, we know that together we can end this nursing shortage. And, for the many nurses who have stuck to the profession and continue to save lives every day, our team at OPS thanks you for all that you are doing.
Interested in learning more about Optimum Pediatric Services and our role in helping medically fragile children across Georgia? Contact us!
Comments