Hospital CIOs: How to approach hiring your staff

Staffing in health IT departments is an ongoing issue for professionals in the industry, and this problem has chief information officers looking for ways to attract and retain the right workers.

CIOs are making hiring for new IT positions a priority this year. And they are looking for the right workforce by hiring new grads with a desire to learn, showing what they can offer new hires and being on the cutting edge of innovation, according to an article in Becker's Hospital CIO.

Edith Dees, vice president and CIO of Holy Spirit Health System in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, told Becker's that at her facility, she looks to hire new graduates who have a drive to continue their education in health IT and grow their knowledge in the field.

She said the facility also offers support for vendor and industry certifications, with job descriptions showing what skills are necessary for an employee to move up the ladder.

Similarly, Mark Kilborn, CIO at Springhill Medical Center in Mobile, Alabama, said he appeals to new hires by staying on the cutting edge of technology and showing new recruits how other employees have moved up the ranks.

Training programs have been an area receiving a lot of attention, especially by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. The agency has offered funding for training through its Training Workforce Programs, FierceHealthIT previously reported. And earlier this year, National Coordinator for Health IT Karen DeSalvo stressed the need for health IT workforce development.

Dees also said that her facility works with human resources to ensure that there is competitive compensation. Some statistics indicate that while health IT workers overall seem to enjoy their jobs, they are not as pleased with their paychecks. For instance, 74 percent of full-time health IT workers and 58 percent of health IT consultants named better pay as the factor most likely to have them looking for greener pastures, according to a survey from consulting and staffing firm Healthcare IT Leaders.

To learn more:
- read the Becker's article