Like many employers throughout the nation, the Union County Health Department is taking extra steps to attract new staff members and to keep the ones they have.
“We’re finding recruitment and retention to be fairly difficult,” said Health Commissioner Jason Orcena.
During its most recent meeting, the Board of Health voted unanimously to approve a resolution that will implement a 3% cost of living allowing increase for all staff members, along with a scheduled market adjustment in pay for certain positions.
“I think it would be appropriate because how many times do you turn on the news and hear, ‘inflation, inflation,’” said Board Member Gary Bowman.
Orcena said the market adjustment was scheduled, as the local health department’s pay rates are notably less than those of other counties.
The new compensation schedule increases the pay rates for the following positions: bookkeeper, community health worker I, health educator I, health educator II (epidemiologist), public health nurse I, public health nurse practitioner IV, plumbing inspector I, environmental health specialist, receptionist I, secretary I, secretary IV (assistant to the health commissioner), deputy directors and directors.
However, Orcena and Fiscal Officer Amy Hamilton proposed also approving a mid-year adjustment to the cost of living allowance (COLA).
The COLA adjustment will apply to all hourly support, hourly professional and salaried staff, as well as all contract employees of UCHD.
Board President Keith Watson said he was in favor of approving a 3% increase, as the market adjustment would focus largely on recruitment efforts without benefitting “the people who have been keeping us afloat.”
Hamilton noted that a cost of living allowance increase between 2-3% would fall within the amounts already budgeted for personnel this year.
She said she budgets “conservatively” so that the health departments actual expenditures usually meet 75-85% of the budgeted expenses. The cost of living allowance increase and the market adjustment would “push us closer to 95%,” Hamilton said.
Ultimately, she said the personnel increases would result in less carryover to next year’s budget.
Orcena said he did not anticipate the resolution would fix all of the health department’s staffing issues, but would be a step in the right direction.
He said there are simply not enough nurses or sanitarians to fill the gaps UCHD is experiencing.
The past three sanitarians hired by the health departments were initially interns who were then hired to regular positions, Orcena said. Recruitment efforts in that area were stymied by the pandemic, as UCHD could not have interns for the past two years.
On the other hand, Orcena said public health systems cannot compete with hospitals that are offering “huge bonuses” to nurses.
Even with the proposed market adjustment, the health commissioner said Union County is still paying less than nearby counties hiring to the same positions.
“(The resolution) is not going to solve everything in the near term but if we could make it a little easier to recruit, that would be great,” Orcena said.
He added, “I think (the cost of living allowance increase) will significantly boost morale.”
In other business:
– Orcena said repairs to the Union County Fairgrounds following the health department’s COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic are nearly complete. He said he drove past the site Wednesday and crews said they were preparing to pour concrete.
Director of Health Promotion and Planning Shawn Sech said the last roll of asphalt, which will wrap up the project, will be completed on June 22.
“We’re in good shape,” Orcena said.
The project, which will total $282,785.36, will be funding completely by the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant.
– Director of Nursing Krista Finch said UCHD has pre-ordered 200 doses of the Pfizer pediatric COVID-19 vaccine. She said the health department opted for the Pfizer-brand shot because the same kind is used for adult doses, which will allow for consistency in storage protocol.