Ascension to NYT: We Are Committed to Nurse Workforce Culture

Ascension is fighting back after a New York Times report alleged that the nonprofit health system created its own nurse workforce challenges by downsizing in order to improve profitability.

“Any allegation that Ascension’s current workforce challenges relate to workforce decisions made in years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic is fundamentally misguided, misleading, and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on the healthcare workforce,” the health system posted on its website following report’s publication late last week.

The report investigated claims at two hospitals in the Midwest owned by Ascension. Workers at the hospitals told the national news source that the nurse workforce was so low patients suffered, either waiting an entire day for a bed or sitting in their own filth. Meanwhile, the report claims that there were so few nurses at one hospital that an aide had to assist with 32 COVID-infected patients.

While Ascension is a nonprofit, the report alleged that the health system spent years downsizing its workforce to boost profitability despite its nonprofit status and having nearly $18 billion in cash reserves. This move has been seen at other hospitals, according to the report, and has “helped lay the groundwork for the labor crisis long before the arrival of the coronavirus.”

“Looking to bolster their bottom lines, hospitals sought to wring more work out of fewer employees. When the pandemic swamped hospitals with critically ill patients, their lean staffing went from a financial strength to a glaring weakness,” the report stated.

However, Ascension said in its post that its hospital staffing levels, particularly bedside nursing staffing, had actually increased in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ascension reported in the post that overall staffing across its hospitals increased from 82,334 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees in fiscal year 2010 to 124,995 FTEs in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2020. Specifically, the number of bedside nurses rose by 64 percent from 2016 to the present, while the number of discharges has remained flat.

Additionally, staffing levels at Ascension continue to exceed those maintained by most of their peers, according to a third-party analysis done by Accenture.

Meanwhile, quality of care remains high across its hospitals, which indicates Ascension’s commitment to its nursing staff and patient care, the post stated. For example, central line-associated bloodstream infections months were 21 percent lower than the 2021 CDC-reported national performance over the past year, and urinary catheter-associated infections were 32 percent lower than the national performance over the same period. These are two recognized indicators of strong nursing performance, according to the post.

“Any fair story on a health system should include data on workforce, data on quality, data on responsible stewardship, analyses of workforce retention programs, and information about the enormous good the system provides to patients and communities,” the post stated.

“The New York Times’ series targeting Catholic healthcare has, to date, focused primarily on offering critiques of faith-based systems without recognizing the enormous good that our faith-driven health systems achieve for so many. We are hoping this information presents a fairer picture of Ascension’s commitment to our Mission through our efforts to steadfastly support our caregivers, our patients and our communities.”

Ascension noted at the top of its post that it sent The New York Times this “on the record” information prior to the publication of the report, which is part of its series on Catholic healthcare. The health system also included financial data, such as operating margins and financial reserves, as well as executive compensation information.

The entire healthcare industry has been struggling to maintain a healthy workforce, particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers were on the frontlines of the pandemic, working tirelessly to stop the spread of the virus while treating record numbers of patients. More healthcare providers are now rethinking medicine as a career.

A recent study on the experiences of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic found that 93 percent reported experiencing stress, 86 percent reported experiencing anxiety, 77 percent reported frustration, 76 percent reported exhaustion and burnout, and 75 percent said they were overwhelmed. Nearly one in five physicians plan to leave the profession or reduce hours, according to the American Medical Association.

Clinician burnout, stress, and other work-related challenges existed before COVID-19, but the pandemic certainly exacerbated the issues, pushing more clinicians out than ever before. Health systems like Ascension point to the ongoing strain from COVID-19 as the top reason why there is a staffing issue in healthcare now.