From the moment we are born, and to the end of our life, we have all received services from healthcare professionals. Quality healthcare is essential to improving the wellbeing of life and preventing diseases. However, the United States has been experiencing a decline in the number of healthcare workers. Although many may not notice, this decline is also impacting the community in Hawai’i. 

When you think of healthcare, your thoughts may be limited to a hospital setting. However, healthcare expands beyond that. Healthcare can expand beyond physical services and into psychological care such as therapists and social workers. It expands into various fields such education and business through occupations such as a healthcare manager or a health educator. Healthcare jobs can be found everywhere, even in places we least expect. 

The two main areas of healthcare that are experiencing an extreme shortage are primary care (which includes family medicine doctors and practitioners) and nursing. There are multiple factors resulting in this decline. As the population continues to age, and more physicians retire, the demand for healthcare workers increases. This results in a lot of strain and burnout for current workers. An example of this would be the COVID-19 crisis, which resulted in high rates of stress and burnout among healthcare workers. Another factor is the rigorousness of the education required for a medical profession. This means that hospitals can’t just hire anyone in order to fill this shortage. Employees need to be certified and skilled, which can take a lot of time and effort. The chart on the left depicts the decrease of physicians in Hawai’i. You can see a huge decrease in 2020, when the COVID-19 crisis started.

Source: University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine.

The shortage of healthcare workers negatively impacts the services given to patients and the quality of healthcare. One impact is longer appointment waiting times, or even rushed appointments. Follow-ups for appointments have also been inconsistent. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, the number of patients outnumbered the amount of staff. There was also a shortage of supplies and beds. Therefore, hospitals couldn’t fully control the situation and were unable to give patients the care they needed. All of these impacts increase the rate of mortality among patients and affect the quality of healthcare services. 

In order to gain a better understanding of how the issue is impacting our community, I interviewed a healthcare worker on their viewpoint of the situation. 

Melenie: “Please do a quick introduction of yourself and your job.”

Victor: “My name is Victor Lacanlale Jr, an alumni from KCC on Oahu. I received an Associates degree in Science for medical assisting. I am currently a MA with the Hamakua-Kohala Health since 2019.” 

Melenie: “What process did you have to go through in order to be employed in your job?”

Victor: “My current employer is Hamakua-Kohala Health as a Medical Assistant. Typically, all healthcare employers will require that you be certified or have your credentials as a MA. In order to do so, you will need to complete an accredited program along with an externship, and eventually take the national exam. Most employers require experience which you gain through externship.” 

Melenie: “Have you personally seen the impacts of the shortage of healthcare workers in our community? If so, give examples.”

Victor: “Yes, there is always a shortage in healthcare especially on this island. A good example is that this island is short of providers. Most of the specialty doctors like endocrinologist, orthopedist, oncologist, cardiologist, are in Oahu. Patients would either have to wait months to be seen here or flown to Oahu for an appointment. That shows the lack of resources here.” 

Melenie: “What do you think might be causing the healthcare shortage problem?”

Victor: “The number one reason I believe there is a shortage is the resources this island provides. Naturally our population is small compared to other islands. Thus, healthcare would not be a career priority to make money. If we build more facilities and get more resources, healthcare can grow bigger on this island.” 

 Hiring more workers is not the most ideal solution, like most people think it may be. Instead, it’s more effective to strengthen the current workforce and to improve their conditions, as the wellbeing of healthcare workers is often overlooked. This can be done through increasing employee benefits like providing bonuses or increasing wages, and improving the flexibility of their schedule. Strengthening the communication between the staff and improving staff management planning is crucial to run the hospital smoothly. Many hospitals have also been hiring travel nurses and other positions in order to fill shortages. Healthcare services are also expanding, as seen through the growth of telehealth, which makes healthcare more convenient for patients.

 It is important to appreciate the work of those in healthcare and let them know they are valued. Improving the wellbeing of healthcare workers means the improvement of the services they provide for patients. A part of our generation will become the future of healthcare, so we must put forth our best effort in order to address the shortage of healthcare workers and to improve the quality of healthcare for all.