CINCINNATI (WXIX) – UC Health has ordered a freeze on new hires and discretionary spending. Employees shared the news they received in an internal email with FOX 19.
In response to a request for comment, hospital representatives provided the following statement:
Kylee Ham, president of the Registered Nurses Association for the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, spoke with FOX 19 about her concerns with the freeze.
Ham said that she doesn’t believe anyone in the public has any reason to be concerned about the quality of care they receive at the hospital.
She said her concern is staffing. She explained that she does not believe there is a shortage of nurses, but rather there is a shortage of nurses who are willing to stay in a difficult role.
She said the job lends itself to burnout on a physical and emotional level, and she said a hiring freeze can mean they don’t have backup.
“Our purpose is just to make sure our nurses are well-rested, they have good patient ratios so they can provide the best care possible,” Ham said.
She said she does not believe that a hiring freeze is a long-term solution to any financial troubles the system might be facing.
When asked what caused the financial issues, Ham said she couldn’t answer entirely but added that Medicare and Medicaid cuts certainly affect hospital budgets.
“I don’t believe this is just a UC problem,” she said. “Every hospital in the state and probably the country is facing some type of financial strain.”
Ham said that she believes certain salaries for high-level positions could be reduced to help with finances.
She also pointed to contracts awarded to consultants.
She said that if someone is hired to fix a certain problem in the system that is outside of the scope of patient care and that problem is not resolved, the hiring may be wasteful.
Ham also said the freeze puts more strain on workers across the system. She said the hospital is team-driven, and workers rely on one another to get their jobs done effectively.
Ham encouraged people to get their flu shots. She said that it helps them to have fewer flu cases this time of year.
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