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January 25, 2010

Rural communities find difficulties attracting therapists to region

Expanding caseload keeps ECH staff busy

By JEFF MEYERS

ELIZABETHTOWN — Rural and urban health care have many striking differences, many of which cause dramatic changes in the way services are delivered to the community.

One facet that has created some level of concern for regional health-care providers is the sometimes difficult process rural rehabilitation centers face when recruiting for new therapists.

"The need is tremendous," said William Doherty, director of Physical Therapy for Elizabethtown Community Hospital (ECH). "It is difficult at times to find people who want to move to the area and live and practice here.

"We've been especially fortunate to draw the experienced people we have."

GROWING CASELOAD
The hospital offers several therapy services at both its inpatient facility and the Sports and Rehab Center located across the street from the main building. On staff now are 15 therapists, many of whom have more than 10 years experience.

Still, the department could use one more full-time physical therapist to keep up with its expanding patient workload, Doherty noted.

"A lot of professionals don't know we exist, don't know of the services we provide," he said. "We have an ongoing search to try to attract quality people to the position."

In urban settings, therapy clinics often specialize in specific areas: sports medicine, joint surgery, spinal injuries or amputee services, for instance. At rural facilities like ECH, therapists will often see patients from all those areas in one day.

"It's a challenge to see that kind of variety in patients," Doherty said. "It's an ideal setting for people who enjoy that type of variety, that challenge."

Continuity of care is also an important factor for patients, who often move from inpatient services to a sub-acute rehab program as for outpatient care, he added.

"Our strength is our experience," he said. "Our therapists provide one-on-one care, and there is always a nice transition from one setting to the other when you're seeing the same therapists."

SHORT SUPPLY
Recruiting for therapists can sometimes be difficult in larger hospitals as well.

"Therapists as a whole in the country are in short supply," said Christine Meister, director of Rehabilitation Services at CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh.

"In a rural community, it can go one of two ways: Either you have a terrible time recruiting because nobody wants to move to a place they have never heard of or your workforce is fairly stable because people don't want to leave the area."

CVPH has had difficulty filling therapist positions in the past but has had tremendous recruitment success the last couple of years, Meister noted. The hospital's focus on quality, safety and service has helped promote the program, she said.

At ECH, physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists work together to give patients a strong commitment to services as well. The staff also spends a great deal of time updating its skill level through education and training programs.

"We're all involved in continuing education," Doherty said. "It's vital to keep current in the field so we can provide our patients with state-of-the art healing and therapeutic intervention."

E-mail Jeff Meyers at: jmeyers@pressrepublican.com

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