/ Modified jul 23, 2021 2:50 p.m.

Nursing shortages, other challenges facing Arizona’s health care system

A discussion with Hertel Report publisher Jim Hammond.

Intensive care units and emergency rooms aren’t seeing beds fill up at the rate they did during the height of the pandemic, but some nurses working those departments say they need relief. That was the message when unionized nurses at St. Mary’s Hospital demonstrated against staffing shortages that they said puts patients at risk. A statement from the hospital’s operator, Carondelet Health Network, said the facility has consistently met staffing guidelines in its collective bargaining agreement with the union.

The problem isn’t isolated to St. Mary’s. A spokesperson for Banner Health told Arizona 360 it has hundreds of open nursing positions and said vacancies are at an all-time high. We discussed staffing challenges and other issues facing hospitals Jim Hammond, publisher of the Hertel Report, which tracks the state’s health care industry.

Arizona 360
Arizona 360 airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on PBS 6 and Saturdays at 8 p.m. on PBS 6 PLUS. See more from Arizona 360.
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