CHIA survey: high nurse and direct-care vacancies, organizations limiting intakes

Members of the Workforce Support Subcommittee of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities heard a presentation from the Massachusetts Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) on findings from CHIA's 2023 healthcare-sector survey and the 2024 human-services survey, which together show high vacancy and turnover rates for registered nurses (RNs) and direct care workers and evidence that many providers have limited new intakes because of staffing shortages.

CHIA deputy executive director for research Zee (identified in the presentation as the deputy executive director for research at CHIA) opened the briefing and said the agency's mission is to "collect and provide a reliable and objective analysis on all health care related issues and challenges." CHIA's presentation described survey fielding, response rates, and a Tableau dashboard that breaks results down by sector and occupation.

Why this matters: CHIA's cross-sector results indicate workforce shortages are affecting service access. CHIA reported that many organizations have increased patient waiting lists or limited new intakes, particularly in behavioral health and home health settings, and that those operational adjustments are being used to cope with staffing deficits.

Key findings

- Survey timing and scope: CHIA said the healthcare-sector survey was fielded May 2023'January 2024 and covered hospitals, nursing homes, home- and community-based providers, behavioral health, community health centers, dental practices, EMS, ambulatory surgical centers and public hospitals. The human-services survey was fielded July'September 2024…