Staffing shortages due to travel-related quarantines, positive test results, early retirement, and former employees remaining home due to child/elder-care issues have led to worker burnout and a continuous flow of resignations. The Great Resignation of 2021 might well continue into next year based on a multitude of articles and sources reviewed for this post.   

The COVID vaccine requirements imposed by most health centers in addition to the CMS mandate will almost inevitably result in additional staffing challenges. Remember, the CMS mandate applies to all staff members including those who don’t interact with patients; i.e., this includes administrative functions like finance, billing and credentialing… even if work is conducted remotely. 

Many fear this will be another blow to staffing levels already “thinly-stretched.” Especially in rural areas, even a small percentage of employees refusing to be vaccinated could have a significant impact.

Third-party payer enrollment and credentialing is an enormous amount of work and challenging for a fully staffed health center. Don’t make the mistake of not dedicating adequate resources or staff to successfully navigate the enrollment and credentialing process. In preparation for potential staff shortages in the coming months and to maximize efficiency, consider partnering with PMG Credentialing to make certain this mission critical task happens flawlessly. It is a simple way to have some peace of mind around a complicated process most health centers rarely master.