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(Monday, June 11 - Yakima, WA) – As baby boomers retire and the need for healthcare grows, the nationwide nursing shortage that experts have been predicting has arrived. As a result, the largest non-profit healthcare system based in Eastern Washington state, Astria Health, has created an exciting national nurse-recruitment campaign.
“The tried and true avenue for recruiting experienced RNs just isn’t working anymore,” said Astria Regional Medical Center’s Chief Nursing Officer Sara Williamson. “Folks want to know about the quality of life in the area as well as the culture and quality of our hospital system. Our nursing leadership team realized that we have a great story to tell right here.”
Astria Health’s nationwide campaign kicks off today and is slated to target potential employees through integrated digital platforms across the country. Thanks to real-time tracking, the organization can closely monitor the campaign and adapt it to best reach their target audience.
“It can be tough for a nurse to decide to move across the country to the unknown,” said Williamson. “We understand that moving is a pretty big gamble to take, so that’s why we posted videos of some of our own nurses talking about why they love to work at Astria Health. We work for a company that believes in advancing education and providing opportunities for education and advancement…that’s probably why so many of our employees have been here for more than twenty years,” Williamson said. “There is a reason why we have so many contract nurses who come for a 13-week stint and then wind up signing on full-time.”
Increasing awareness of the region’s bounty is an important point of the campaign. Astria Health received feedback from new nurses who recently moved here that they hadn’t realized how beautiful our region is...or they thought the weather was usually rainy in Washington. Astria Health decided to change the story in order to allow nurses to learn more about the Yakima Valley.
Astria Health’s campaign message is simple: “Work to live, not live to work,” said Dawn O’Polka, the Chief Marketing and Communication Executive for Astria Health. “This is about connecting people with a passion for nursing with Astria Health’s mission, vision and values of caring for the people who live here,” she said. “The Pacific Northwest and the Yakima Valley are wonderful places to live and work. The campaign connects nurses interested in working for a growing and dynamic organization with a truly beautiful part of the country.”
Astria Health’s President and Chief Executive Officer John Gallagher says he believes in a proactive approach to draw experienced healthcare providers to the area. “I think it would be foolish not to invest in a comprehensive recruitment campaign to attract nurses to our three Astria Health hospitals; Astria Regional Medical Center, Astria Sunnyside Hospital and Astria Toppenish Hospital,” said Gallagher. “Across the country, hospitals are struggling to recruit and retain experienced nurses to fill the growing demand…we need to share our message nationally that Astria Health is a great place to work and that the Yakima Valley is a great place to live and find people who want to make a difference every single day.”
Posted June 11, 2018