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Rockingham County discusses nursing staffing, agency use and recruitment plans
Summary
Board heard nursing staffing report showing continued agency use, hiring progress and plans to track month-to-month changes; no policy changes were adopted.
Rockingham County officials heard an updated nursing staffing report at the July 3 Board of Commissioners meeting that showed continued reliance on agency workers while in-house hiring and retention work continues.
The county presented a staffing snapshot dated June 27 showing there were 63 agency travelers in use across 16 agencies and that ongoing recruitment had added several LNA candidates and new hires since earlier reports. The presentation included pay rates and indicated the county had updated posted rates on its website to increase applicant traffic.
Commissioners and staff said the county is pursuing a mix of hiring, accountability for attendance and employee engagement activities to reduce agency dependence. Staff described recent discipline and attendance enforcement, new onboarding classes for LNAs, and outreach tools added to the county website; they said those steps produced more applicants but that turnover and seasonal hiring patterns are likely to continue through the summer.
No formal policy action was taken. Commissioners requested a more detailed monthly report — the board was told a fuller staffing report from “Autumn” will arrive on July 17 and will show, month-to-month, counts of agency staff versus county employees so the commissioners can track whether agency use declines as new hires are onboarded.
The nursing home census was discussed separately during departmental reports: the county reported a nursing home census of 139 residents and 47 in assisted living, with both assisted-living beds available for immediate move-ins.
Staff emphasized the county is tracking use of agency personnel alongside hiring and retention metrics and will return regular monthly comparisons to show progress or continued reliance on contract staff.
